In what is being projected as a show of strength against the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State, a large number of Congress supporters and locals gathered in Haldwani as part of the one-day protest fast headed by leader of opposition Indira Hridayesh against shifting the location of proposed inter-State bus terminus here on Tuesday.

At the protest staged at the earlier site of the ISBT in Gaulapar area, many of the senior party leaders were present except former Chief Minister and senior party leader Harish Rawat. The national secretary of the party Prakash Joshi, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh and various MlAs from the Kumaon region along with former Ministers were present at the protest.

The party leaders spoke in unison against the “double-engine” Government of the BJP, exhorting the public to teach the BJP a lesson in the coming local body and lok Sabha elections. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Indira Hridayesh strongly advocated construction of the ISBT at the site in Gaulapar which was earlier selected for the purpose. She said that the bus terminal should be constructed at the site where the previous State Government had laid foundation for the project. 

She said that the State Government headed by the Congress had considered the convenience of the people in Kumaon while laying foundation of the ISBT at Gaulapar in Haldwani. After much effort, work had been started on this project but soon after its formation, the BJP Government started hampering this project. Hridayesh said, “Today the people have understood the reality of developmental slogans of the BJP. The public is now ready to teach them a lesson when the opportunity arises. The BJP is spreading misinformation regarding the ISBT at Gaulapar. People are distributing sweets even though no announcement has been made in this regard.” She stressed that the ISBT should be constructed at Gaulapar while the site at Teen Pani should be used only for construction of the proposed Mandi. She further opined that the public is eager to elect the Congress to office which will be evident in the coming local body elections.

The Government is going far from public interest issues. She further said that the State Government has little left in the treasury which is not adequate enough to even pay the salaries of Government employees. Instead of making appointments to vacant posts in government departments, the government is freezing such posts which is exacerbating unemployment, she added.

The PCC chief Pritam Singh said that the 10 month term of the BJP Government in Uttarakhand has been disappointing so far. He said, “The government has continued to reverse decisions taken in public interest. little has been achieved when it comes to development. The projects started during the tenure of the Congress State Government are being left in limbo. The BJP Government is focusing mainly on collecting funds for the next election. This is the reason why BJP leaders and even government officials have been directed to collect funds for the Aajiwan Sahyog Nidhi,” he alleged.

Congress MlAs Govind Singh Kunjwal, Karan Mahra, Harish Dhami, former ministers Harish Chandra Durgapal, Tilak Raj Behar and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.