In protest against what it termed sale of Tehri dam, the State unit of Congress party held a state-wide protest on Wednesday. The party has also decided to hold a protest march to Tehri on December 2 on the issue. The proposed march would be led by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Pritam Singh.
On the day, the Congress workers assembled at the headquarters of the State Congress party from where they marched to Astley hall to express their protest.
At the party office, the workers and leaders were addressed by the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, PCC chief Pritam Singh and other leaders.
Former CM, Rawat said that people of Tehri who gave many sacrifices for construction of dam are feeling let down by the Government and the Congress party is standing behind them with all its strength.
Praising the decision of PCC chief to organise a march to New Tehri to protest the decision of Government, Rawat said that Tehri dam is a symbol of sacrifice of people of Tehri.
The PCC chief Pritam Singh said that the BJP Government has given reward to the people of Tehri and Uttarakhand who placed all five Lok Sabha Seats of the State in its kitty in the elections of 2014 and 2019 and gave a landslide victory to it in the Assembly elections of 2017 by selling Tehri dam.
He said that the people of Tehri city and 152 villages had sacrificed their villages, houses and history for the sake of the dam and now Narendra Modi Government has decided to auction the sacrifice of people of Tehri.
Pritam Singh said that the Congress party is not ready to tolerate the anti people decision and the congress workers are ready for a decisive battle on the issue.
He declared that the party would organise a march to Tehri on December 2 and a massive protest would be held outside the office of THDC at Bhaghirathipuram on the day. Former Cabinet Minister Matbar Singh Kandari said that Congress party would now take the fight to protect Tehri dam from being sold to the streets.
The Vice President of the State unit of Congress party, Suryakant Dhasmana said that by deciding to sale Tehri dam, the Narendra Modi Government has given an open challenge to the people of Uttarakhand, especially those living in Tehri.
He said that the workers of the Congress party are prepared to launch ‘Jail Bharo’ campaign under the leadership of PCC president Pritam Singh on the issue.
After the meeting the Congress leaders and workers marched to the Astley hall where they burned the effigies of the union and State Government as mark of their protest.
In the programme, the state secretary of Congress party Vijay Saraswat, former MLA Rajkumar, Mahanagar president Lal Chand Sharma, coordinator Rajendra Shah and others.