Page 45 - 31JAN2018E

ior BJP leaders who overlooked them various places where BJP activists were Sanjiv Dixit in Hamirpur, who were
in the areas of their influence where nominated politically. We gave repre- among the lease holders and allegedly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recent- sentations to BJP president Amit Shah involved in illegal mining of red sand
ly went to attend several official public who promised to sort out such issues in Bundelkhand, a region where illegal
functions. but we are at the receiving end till date.” red sand mining has thrived for long.
The Union State Health Minister “We have no problems at central but at As soon as an FIR was registered by
Anupriya Patel, who comes from pow- state level we feel neglected and step Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on
erful “Kurmi” community and Cabi- motherly treated,” he added. January 2, 2019. Its teams swung into
net Minister of Backward Classes Om CBI officers, who are probing irregu- action in a couple of days and raided
Prakash Rajbhar have become vocal larities in mining of sand and minerals 14 places in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi,
over the frustrating treatment they on the orders of the Allahabad high including the residence of a popu-
received from their alliance partner. court, on Saturday seized multiple lar woman civil servant, a Samajwadi
While Rajbhar protested over release of documents related to mining, property Party (SP) member of the legislative
a stamp in the name of just “Suheldev” documents, around five kilograms of council (MLC) Ramesh Mishra, mining
and his Rajbhar caste were deliberately gold and jewelry as well as over 2 crore department officials and red sand min-
removed therein. in cash during the searches, the offic- ing lease holders, in connection with
On the other hand, “Anupriyaji felt ers said on condition of anonymity. mining irregularities in Bundelkhand,
bad when her name was excluded in an CBI officers also questioned the MLC CBI officers said.
advertisement of inauguration of Medi- and former Zila Panchayat chairman The FIR states: “The role of the then
cal College at Siddhartha Nagar. This mining ministers concerned during
was organised under health ministry the relevant period may be looked into
by minister in charge J.P. Nadda where- Allegations of during the course of investigation.” In
in BJP leaders found prominence in the corruption against the period, Yadav handled the mining
function, including state minister Ash- portfolio for a brief period. Announcing
wini Chaubey, who hails from Bihar. Akhilesh Yadav pre-electoral alliance with Samajwadi
This forced her to distance herself from and Mayawati Party BSP president Mayawati termed
prime minister’s programme,” said Ram the pulling the name of Akhilesh
Kumar Vishwkarma, who looks after have apparently Yadav in illegal mining scam as, “an
her constituency works and attend the arm-twisting method to scuttle SP-BSP
local problems. gained ground in alliance and our party is pledged to
Apna Dal spokesperson Brijendra the probe that was stand by him.”
told ‘Tehelka’, “Our party is not getting “The party welcomes the CBI
due respect and share in governance as initiated on the action but the timings of the raids rais-
our workers have not been adequately directives of the es questions on the intentions of the
represented in municipal and local government,” said Abdul Hafiz Gandhi,
bodies elections, cooperatives and Allahabad High Court SP spokesperson, questioning the tim-
ing of the raids just ahead of Lok Sabha
elections.
Political turf of Uttar Pradesh has to
witness triangular contest between BJP,
Congress and SP-BSP alliance. SP-BSP
alliance undermined the existence of
Congress party in the state and left only
two seats of Amethi and Raibarelli for
its top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia
Gandhi. On the other hand, addressing
the national convention of BJP in Ram-
lila Maidan in Delhi, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi made scathing attack
on congress party and blamed its poli-
cies for every problem of the nation as
BJP feel potential threat from Congress
as a national party.
letters@tehelka.com

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