Mafia operating blatantly in state: Bindal

BJP state president Rajeev Bindal today said that the forest, drug and scrap mafias were operating unhindered in the state and asked the government who was patronising these anti-social elements.

Bindal, while addressing mediapersons at Nalagarh, said, “An incident in Chamba district has come to light where a forest employee was tied to a vehicle and dragged for almost a kilometre by the forest mafia. Later, the accused drove away the vehicle full of Kashmiri wood.”

He said, “If we talk about the mining mafia, pictures taken by drones by some media personnel show 100 trucks, JCB machines and poclain machines engaged in mining at a khud, exhibiting how they operate without any fear of law. This is not all, another incident that happened in Mandi district is well known, where the SDM was chased and beaten up. The mafia even smashed his bones.”

Bindal asked what compulsion the state government had that it was colluding with the mafias and patronising them? “The situation in Himachal Pradesh has become worrisome, as the police initiate action against a person, who had filed a complaint, instead of acting against the perpetrators of a crime. Honest police officials are transferred or action is taken against them,” he alleged.

Bindal said that residents were troubled by the mafia in Nalagarh as well. “I would like to give an example of a woman who harassed in Nalagarh where an expectant mother was forced to abort her child at gunpoint. The woman had filed a complaint but the perpetrator of the crime is roaming freely. “

“Now, Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi has asserted that his party leaders, who have joined hands with the BJP, should be shown the door. Since he has also mentioned Himachal, the Chief Minister should worry about this assertion and set his house in order,” the BJP president added.