leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt has expressed regret over the Kotdwar incidence and alleged that it happened due to direct intervention of the Government and district administration.
Bhatt said, "Actually it was a case of scuffle between the people but police and district administration have blown this scuffle into a communal tension. Police tried to cover up the case for few hours under the pressure of their political boss. They did not lodge case against the accused. The way police resorted to cane charge on BJP leaders and workers shows that they were targeting BJP workers to appease their political boss. As police and district administration were already present and if they would have acted accordingly then situation would not have blown out of proportion. Now question is why police were sitting idle after the initial scuffleIJ Why did they not arrest the accused after the incidentIJ"
Bhatt further alleged that law and order situation has been deteriorating day by day in Uttarakhand with murder, loot and dacoity cases becoming regular feature of the state. Even after committing crime, the criminals are roaming freely. Mafias operating in the mining, land and liquor trades are being patronised by the state government and now such people are exploiting state resources freely. Bhatt questioned how this could be possible without connivance or patronisation by the State. "They have been terrorising MlAs or public representatives who dared to raise voice of people in front of the state Government. A woman tourist become a victim of gang rape recently in the State and this incident has further dented the state's image," he added.