By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 22 Aug: Opposition members today cornered the government on various issues including increasing crime and incidents like rapes and murders and alleged that law and order has collapsed under the BJP Government. They also cornered the government on lack of teachers in the schools in the hills and also on incomplete works related to drinking water schemes and urban development schemes.
Leader of the Opposition, Yashpal Arya raising the issue of collapse of law and order in the state under Rule 58 (Suspension of business) on admissibility, listed a number of cases across the state of crimes as serious as rapes, murders and dacoity. He also alleged that in a number of cases, BJP leaders or people close to the BJP leaders have been found involved and claimed that the government and the Police have attempted to protect the culprits.
BSP MLA Mohammed Shahzad also supported the allegations levelled by Arya and also listed several crimes in various districts. In addition, he also alleged large scale corruption in the revenue department and claimed that in district Haridwar, most revenue officials from Lekhpal and Patwari onwards are totally corrupt and that most of them have amassed huge wealth.
Congress MLA Bhuwan Chandra Kapri claimed that the senior Police officers are not registering FIRs and even resort to threatening the victims if they approach the Police through political leaders. He also mentioned the recent case of rape and murder of nurse Taslim Jahan in Rudrapur and claimed that the Police did not take any interest in searching her for eight days after she went missing. Only under increasing public pressure, the police finally get into action, and located the dead body from neighbouring district in UP. Kapri alleged that Police SSP of district US Nagar finally arrests one culprit though several others are involved in the incident. He further alleged that SSP Udham Singh Nagar is deeply involved in illegal mining. The Police officers in the district are involved in illegal property deals. Tilak Raj Behad also accused the SSP Udham Singh Nagar of openly encouraging illegal property deals and of being insensitive towards the welfare of women and mentioned one viral video where the SSP is seen allegedly saying that the Police can’t reform every criminal.
On at least two occasions, when during the Zero Hour, the Opposition members spoke at length on certain issues (on lack of teachers in the hills and on law and order situation), MLAs Munna Singh Chauhan and Shiv Arora objected and reminded the Speaker as well as the House that this is not a debate in progress but a short discussion on the admissibility. Chauhan in fact claimed that for a moment he thought that this was a debate in progress. Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal read out a rule from the rule book to remind the House that on admissibility of a certain issue, there can’t be a long discussion. Munna Singh Chauhan reminded the House that the Opposition members were selective and that they failed to mention that a Maulana had been arrested for rape of a minor. To this Qazi Nizamuddin objected and demanded that this should not become part of the proceeding. This enraged Chauhan and he strongly objected to the demand made by Nizamuddin.
Harish Dhami also spoke on the issue and alleged that police officials are exploiting poor young boys charging them falsely of drugs dealing and that the even the low ranking police officials of amassing wealth. He demanded a deep investigation. Qazi Nizamuddin also spoke on this issue. He said that in his long political and legislative inning he never heard in the past so many allegations against a particular police officer in the House as he heard today and expressed surprise that the government is not taking any action against SSP Udham Singh Nagar.
