BJP national vice president and Ganga Samagra campaign leader Uma Bharti said that the Ganga at present comprises only the waters of the Alaknanda and Mandakini as the Bhagirathi is not merging with the river beyond the Tehri Dam. Addressing a Press conference here on Sunday, she said that without the Bhagirathi, the Ganga is technically not the river which millions venerate.
After attending a meeting in Dehradun on the campaign, Bharti said that as part of the campaign, Ganga posts will be established along the river from Gangotri to Gangasagar where activists will request the pilgrims to desist from polluting the river. Replying to a query, she said that the campaign was not connected to the General elections, though she also admitted that the political executive will have to be involved for ensuring the protection of the national river.
Regarding talks of her contesting the lok Sabha election from Haridwar, she only said that she had told the BJP national president Rajnath Singh that she would accept whatever decision he took. Regarding the post-disaster scenario in Uttarakhand, she said that the State Government had not worked efficiently on the rescue and relief measures.
“In the coming days, public courts will be held at Gopeshwar, Rudraprayag and Dharasu to review the post-disaster scenario and take public opinion on the situation in the area between Joshimath and Badrinath, Kedarnath valley, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Apart from this a women’s meet will also be held at Dhari Devi and a meeting will be held in Dehradun to discuss the development model for the State. The State government did not make effective rescue efforts as the skeletons of those in Kedarnath who had climbed hills to escape the flood are still lying in the bushes there.
The disaster-affected people will meet the President and request him to order another combing operation in the State to recover bodies,” said Bharti, adding that lakhs of people in Uttarakhand were also affected by the disaster. Ganga Samagra members and BJP leaders were also present in the Press conference.