Ganderbal, Oct. 29 -- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday defended his government's decision to reject a bill that he says is meant to "help the land mafia."

"How can we pass a bill that is meant to help the land mafia, to help those who have illegally occupied land, that cannot even address whether they are actually residents of J&K?" he said while speaking to reporters in Ganderbal.

The J-K Chief Minister accused those who brought the bill of using it to secure political advantage ahead of elections.

"A bill that has been introduced solely for political gain will harm the people of J&K, and I will not allow my government to harm the people of J&K," Abdullah asserted.

The bill titled 'The Jammu and Kashmir (Regularization and Rec...