Congress Party has extended its support to party former corporator and senior leader Dr Jitendra Seth against whom an FIR has been lodged in other district as he has been continuing his fight for last more than two decades to protect the historical and mythological important Shivpur Talab, one of places where devotees take a halt to rest during Panchkoshi Yatra, from the land mafias.
Former vice chairman of Cantonment Board and senior Congress leader Shailendra Singh flayed the state government for the FIR lodged against Dr Seth in Hardoi district because he has been fighting for the last more than two decades to protect Shivpur Talab, where devotees take their fourth halt to rest during the auspicious Panchkoshi Parikrama, from land mafias. The state government claims of being only well wisher of Hindus but also allows the police to lodge FIR against a person who has devoted his entire life to protect this historical and mythological important talab from the land mafia, he charged. Dr Seth informed that the Shivpur Talab is at the 31st number in the list of 63 talabs of the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) and it is historically and mythologically important talab where the devotees take halt to rest during the Panchkoshi Parikrama. Earlier this talab was covered with clay by the land mafias with the nexus of the local officers and also got registered their names as owners but he along with locals fought against it and moved the court, he informed and added that the court constituted a four-members committee to conduct an inquiry into the matter which mentioned it as a talab in its report. An FIR was also lodged at Shivpur police station on April 20 in 2008 against a company on the directive of them DM Veena to cover the talab and change its original nature, he informed and added that this talab was covered with clay by the land mafias but no construction was made on it because of the fight to protect it since 2002.
Now, the manager of same company against which the FIR was lodged on April 20 in 2008, has lodged FIR against him in Hardoi district as he has been fighting to protect the talab for the last more than two decades and he is big hurdle on the way of land mafias to grab it illegally, Dr Seth said and urged the PM Narendra Modi to restore the talab as its original nature by getting restoration of water body. He apprehended the threat to his life and demanded the district administration to take the matter seriously. He also demanded the government to direct the administration of Hardoi district to withdraw the FIR lodged against him with ill intention and mount pressure so that he left his fight to protect the talab.