The State of Uttarakhand incurred a loss of about Rs 5,400 cr caused by illegal mining activities during the tenure of former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, said State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajay Bhatt while addressing party workers at ‘Janjagaran Yatra’ here on Tuesday.
Accusing the Harish Rawat Government of protecting the mafia, he said that the State has earned revenue of Rs 100 Crore in just 22 days of Presidential rule by imposing penalties on illegal mining activity.
The BJP leader claimed that in Nainital district alone revenue of Rs 62 Crore went into coffers of the state during this short period. Terming Harish Rawat as leader of ‘Bagdadi Thugs’, Bhatt said that sting operation has exposed him.
Blaming Rawat for forcing inferior quality liquor on the people of the State, he said that the stand of BJP which consistently opposed the liquor policy of Rawat Government stands vindicated as the Governor has annulled the policy now.
Bhatt also charged Harish Rawat for blaming Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for the split in Congress and indicated that the party has a history of splits and BJP has no role in the present fiasco of Congress.
He claimed that the nine Congress MlAs responded to their inner voice and took a stand against the Harish Rawat Government. The BJP leader also charged Harish Rawat and former education minister, Mantri Prasad Naithani for engaging in charade on the issue of guest teachers.
“First they did nothing when they were in power and when it was clear to them that a ‘go’ in favour of guest teachers is expected on Monday due to the efforts of BJP leaders, they created a drama of sitting on a Dharna,’’ he said.
The BJP State President exhorted the party workers to work dedicatedly for the party and expose the misdeeds of Congress Government.
He said that BJP is slated to from next Government in Uttarakhand and claimed that Congress would be reduced to single digit figure in the assembly elections. The BJP MlAs, Harbans Kapur and Ganesh Joshi also addressed the workers on the occasion.
The Yatra was welcomed by the BJP workers at Rispana Bridge from where it meandered through Haridwar road, Dharampur, Aaraghar, Prince Chowk, Saharanpur road, Kanwali Chowk and reached a farm house located at GMS road. large number of vehicles accompanied the Yatra due to which normal traffic flow was affected.