By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 2 Dec: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the state government for allowing the Hindu Mahapanchayat to be held in Uttarkashi on Sunday against an allegedly illegal mosque.
In an informal chat with media persons, BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt asserted that the government is justified in having allowed the Mahapanchayat to be held in Uttarkashi on Sunday, emphasising that everyone has the democratic right to express their views.
Bhatt reminded that the Mahapanchayat was held peacefully by various organisations and asserted that the government remained vigilant to ensure that law and order was not disturbed. He claimed that the Congress and other Opposition parties’ reservations over permission for the Mahapanchayat was entirely political.
It may be recalled that, yesterday, a large number of Hindu organisations and leaders including BJP’s firebrand Hindutva leader T Raja Singh, who is from Telangana, had participated in the Mahapanchayat. Several Muslim organisations had approached the High Court seeking to stop this Mahapanchayat from being held in Uttarkashi. During the hearing, while the government had then claimed that no permission had been granted for the Mahapanchayat, the High Court had only directed the government to ensure law and order and the security of all religious structures in Uttarkashi.
During the interaction, Bhatt reiterated that, in a democracy, every individual has the right to voice his or her opinion. He clarified that the BJP opposes any move to curtail this freedom. Addressing law and order concerns, he admitted that it is the government’s duty to maintain order and asserted that the Dhami Government was successful in ensuring law and order and peace on Sunday and even generally, across the state.
Bhatt dismissed the Congress’s allegations that as part of a strategy, the government allowed the spread of confusion and misinformation. Drawing a parallel, he pointed out that just as all political parties, including Congress, hold protests, a section of society in Uttarkashi has expressed its viewpoint. However, he accused Congress of hypocrisy for labelling this expression as undemocratic. He also noted that the matter is under judicial review and assured that the government is taking constitutionally appropriate actions. He emphasised that no compromise will be made regarding law and order.
Bhatt also welcomed the initiative of the Chief Minister to promote ‘Round the Year Char Dham Yatra’ called ‘Baro Maas Char Dham Yatra’, asserting that this has the potential to position Uttarakhand as a leading tourist destination in India. He also praised Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Tourism Minister for their extensive preparations for the winter pilgrimage. He expressed confidence that Uttarakhand could emerge as a leading tourism hub in areas such as religion, culture, tradition, and heritage. Drawing a comparison with Kashmir, he envisioned Uttarakhand attaining a similar status in the future.
Commenting on the disruptions by the Opposition during the current Parliament session, Bhatt who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, criticised the Opposition for disrupting proceedings. He argued that while parliamentary rules allow for discussion, obstructing the House over a single issue leads to waste of valuable time and undermines the democratic process. Despite the disruptions, he expressed satisfaction at having been able to raise some state-related questions, receiving assurances that Uttarakhand will benefit from central schemes related to communication, health, and education.
