BJP pressuring SIDCUL firms for funds for Shah’s rally, alleges Cong

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 24

The Congress, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have questioned the motive behind the rally of BJP national president Amit Shah in Haridwar city during the Char Dham pilgrimage and the peak tourist season.

Congress Sewa Dal state in charge Rajesh Rastogi today alleged that local BJP leaders had mobilised funds for the rally from firms based in SIDCUL. He submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate demanding a CBI probe into the funds being used for Shah’s rally.

Rastogi said BJP leaders and activists were threatening SIDCUL industries of dire consequences if they didn’t provide Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh each for Shah’s rally. He demanded a CBI probe into the matter as such pressure tactics and fleecing of industries by BJP leaders would force them to move out of the state.

UKD (Progressive) media secretary Uday Ram Semwal, while addressing mediapersons at the party office here today, said the district administration shouldn’t have granted permission for the rally at the Rishikul ground, which is around 1 km from the railway station and the bus station and 3 km from Har-ki-Pauri.

“Already the city is facing reeling huge traffic jams everyday and the police have failed to regulate traffic. The work to four-lane the National Highway-58, which passes by the Rishikul ground, is still incomplete. Major traffic congestion takes place from the Singh Dwar, Rishikul, Har-ki-Pauri, Motichur stretch on the national highway. Hence, one can imagine the traffic scenario when tens of thousands of BJP activists on hundreds of vehicles arrive in Haridwar and move towards Rishikul on the national highway,” said Semwal.

He urged the district administration not to allow such rallies or political events in the city periphery in future. He said these were not concerned with any local or social issue but were only political stunts. Hence, the rallies should be held outside the city periphery to avoid inconvenience to local people and tourists.

Meanwhile, the SP district unit has also criticised the BJP for spending lakhs of rupees on publicity and arrangement of buses for ferrying people to the Rishikul ground tomorrow.

District general secretary of the party Kazi Chand said the whole city had been covered with hoardings, posters, flags and other information materials regarding the rally. Transporters were being forced to provide their buses for the rally to ferry party activists and ‘sponsored’ crowd to the Rishikul ground.

“For tge past seven days, BJP legislators and district unit office-bearers are busy in making arrangements for the rally. They don’t have time for local people, who are facing intermittent power cuts and traffic jams and complain about potholed roads, encroachment and water-logging during the monsoon. What purpose or public problem will be resolved by hosting such a rally. MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and legislator Madan Kaushik are performing havan yajna at the Rishikul ground and offering rituals to ensure the rally is a success. They should have performed similar rituals at the Rishikul ground to clear it off encroachment, garbage and filth,” said Kazi Chand.