A political row erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after the Jammu Development Authority demolished the home of journalist Arafaz Ahmad Daing in Jammu’s Narwal area, claiming it had been built on its land, NDTV reported.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Bharatiya Janata Party both questioned the manner in which the demolition was carried out.

The National Conference is in power in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the lieutenant governor, who functions under the BJP-ruled Union government, is in charge of law and order.

Amid the uproar, a Hindu neighbour gifted a plot of land to the journalist.

The single-storey structure, belonging to Daing’s family, was pulled down by Jammu Development Authority officials on Thursday morning, The Indian Express reported. The authority said the house had been constructed on land belonging to it.

Jammu Development Authority Vice Chairperson Rupesh Kumar said that the action was a “routine exercise” and part of an ongoing drive to remove encroachments from its land, the newspaper reported.

He said the family had been served a first notice on October 29, and when no reply was received, a second notice was issued on November 18.

Daing later submitted in writing that the Narwal house did not belong to him or his family, The Indian Express quoted the chairperson as saying.

The journalist, however, told reporters that the now-demolished home had been built nearly 40 years ago and was owned by his father, NDTV reported.

He had moved into the home after his house in Bhatindi was demolished by another agency last year as it was constructed over government property, The Indian Express reported.

Videos of the demolition on Thursday were circulated widely on social media.

Abdullah described the action a “conspiracy” to defame the elected government in the Union Territory and accused officials posted by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of carrying out demolitions without approval, NDTV reported.

“No one supports encroachment on government land,” NDTV quoted the National Conference leader as saying. “But there cannot be a pick-and-choose approach by the JDA. I see a clear design to defame and discredit the elected government.”

He also claimed that a particular community was being targeted.

“Was this the only place in Jammu where encroachment had taken place?” Abdullah asked.

The chief minister also asked the JDA to provide a full list of illegal encroachments in Jammu.

Former Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, however, said that the demolition was “selective” and blamed the elected government for the action, NDTV reported

“The lieutenant governor has not used the bulldozer,” Raina was quoted as saying. “I spoke to him and he said no such orders were issued. Where did the order come from? I won’t politicise it.”

He added: “Our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] believes in giving houses to the poor, not demolishing them. We will ensure all help.”

Following the demolition, Daing’s neighbour Kuldeep Sharma, who belongs to the Hindu community, gifted him a plot of land, NDTV reported.

“I will not let down my brother,” the news outlet quoted Sharma as saying. “Whatever it takes, I will rebuild their home. I am giving this plot to him. They have destroyed his home on a three Marla plot. I’m gifting him a five Marla plot.”

Sharma also criticised the chief minister for not being able to exercise his authority. He said if Abdullah cannot prevent such demolitions, remaining in office serves no purpose.

Daing, who runs a news portal in Jammu, had been arrested in 2022 for reporting on protests against a demolition drive, NDTV reported.

There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the demolition of property as a punitive measure. However, the practice has become commonplace in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

In November, the Supreme Court held as illegal the practice of demolishing properties of persons accused of crimes as a punitive measure.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had recently said in the Assembly that over 16,000 kanals of land belonging to the JDA had been encroached in Jammu.