Uttarakhand: ‘Lions Don’t Hunt Dogs', Says Trivendra Singh Rawat on 'Illegal' Mining

Dehradun: The allegations of large-scale illegal mining in Uttarakhand in Parliament, made by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who is now a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Haridwar, has again led to resurfacing of old faultlines within the state ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A state government official has termed Rawat’s charges “baseless”. Reacting to reply by a senior state bureaucrat on his charges, Rawat created a stir in the state when he said, “Lions do not hunt dogs.”      

There was a political turmoil in Uttarakhand following direct allegations levelled by BJP MP Trivendra Singh Rawat in the Lok Sabha on Thursday about large-scale illegal mining going on in Haridwar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts. He said overloaded trucks carrying mining material plying during night hours were not only a threat to the environment but were also causing losses to the state exchequer.

Raising the issue in Parliament, the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister further said that such overloaded trucks carrying mining material from the state’s river beds were also threatening the security of the common people and to infrastructure, like roads and bridges. He called for formation of a special task force and strict action against the mining mafia which had been “openly flouting the laws and indulging in rampant mining.”

While Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami or the BJP refrained from joining issue with Rawat, the state government fielded state mining secretary Brijesh Sant to refute the charges by claiming that the revenue from legal mining in the state had increased 2.25 times over the past two years, and terming the charge as “baseless.”

“The claim that illegal mining, illegal transportation, and illegal storage are increasing in the state is completely baseless. Reports confirm that minerals such as stone crushers, screening plants, and extracted materials like coal, iron ore, granite, dolomite, etc, are being transported only with valid royalty permits. Any claim suggesting mineral extraction without royalty permits is entirely false and misleading,” a state government press release said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Congress party has said that the allegations by Rawat substantiate the ground realities about the goings-on in the BJP state government.

Addressing a press conference, Uttarakhand Congress senior Vice-President (Organisation and Administration) Suryakant Dhasmana demanded a white paper on mining in the state. He said while serious charges were being levelled by a senior BJP leader, who is not only a Lok Sabha MP from Haridwar but a former Chief Minister of the state, the BJP had fielded a bureaucrat to deny his charges. “Only a statement by Chief Minister Dhami would have clarified the situation. Otherwise, it indicates that BJP is trying to put these important issues under the carpet,” he added.        

This is not the first time that Rawat has come out openly against the Dhami-led state government. Last year, he strongly condemned the law-and-order situation in the state following a daring dacoity in his constituency, Haridwar. In 2023, after the Dhami government’s police lathi-charged youths protesting against unemployment, Rawat had questioned the government and termed the action as “wrong”. He had also raised questions against the government on its failure to take off the Smart City project in Dehradun.

There is no love lost between various factions of the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand who are trying to upstage each other. Although Chief Minister Dhami is a favourite of (Narendra) Modi-(Amit)Shah combine and a darling of the ‘Sangh Parivar’ for his anti-Muslim rhetoric after becoming Chief Minister in 2021, his detractors are also reportedly close to the ‘Sangh Parivar’.

 Trivendra Singh Rawat, who was removed as Chief Minister in 2021, was himself close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and was part of his team when the latter was BJP president. This “closeness” was the main reason for Rawat getting the coveted post after the BJP’s landslide win in the 2017 Assembly polls.

However, at present, according to party sources, Rawat and Anil Baluni, the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha MP, have reportedly joined hands to undermine the present incumbent. Baluni is in-charge of BJP’s national media cell and is considered “very close” to Modi and Shah.

A power tussle in Uttarakhand BJP has been on for quite some time with each group playing against each other. It was in the August 2024 Gairasain Assembly session that allegations by an independent legislator. Umesh J. Kumar, considered close to Dhami, were made that attempts were being made by Gupta brothers of South Africa to topple the Dhami government by spending Rs.500 crore. Dhami was quick to order a probe but nothing came out of it.

Interestingly, political observers believe that the allegations were directed at Trivendra Singh Rawat and Congress leader Harish Rawat, who had during their tenures as Chief Minister given security to the Gupta brothers.

Inner-party rivalry in BJP has further intensified following removal of Uttarakhand finance minister Prem Chand Aggrawal over his remarks on ‘pahari’ people on the floor of the House, which “inflamed” passions in the hills, leading to his sacking. There are five vacant positions in the Dhami government at present and there is talk of a ministry rejig soon, with powerful lobbies becoming active to grab ministerial berths for their favourite legislators.    

The writer is a freelancer based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.