New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday notified new land laws for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. With this law, any Indian citizen can buy land in the region, sparking fears among locals as it was earlier meant only for permanent residents under Article 370.

The Narendra Modi government had removed special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 which opened the door for outsiders tobuy land and property, get government jobs and attend institutes of higher education. The law had empowered the government of the former state to define "permanent residents" of Jammu and Kashmir and reserve certain rights for them.

In its order, the home ministry said the new laws will be called the Union T...