BJP fear demolition drive may affect partyrsquos poll prospects

  • | Sunday | 15th July, 2018

Dehradun: BJP state chief Ajay Bhatt has admitted that the ongoing demolition drive in Dehradun could affect the party and its prospects in the upcoming civic body polls scheduled to be held in September.Bhatt said a discussion regarding the anti-encroachment drive ordered by Uttarakhand high court was held in the party’s recent executive meeting at Kashipur. Resident Deepak Negi, who has a shop near DAV College, said, “The drive has hit everyone in the city and no BJP leaders came to help the shopkeepers or house owners. No one is going to forget this during the civic poll.” After the high court order of razing encroachments, the district administration and MDDA demolished over 1,600 structures from every nook and cranny of the city.The BJP camp is worried about a negative perception being generated that the demolition drive was being carried out by the ruling party. “The delay in approaching the supreme court and failing to convince the high court about the hardships to be faced by thousands of people and the fierce monsoon, clearly shows the state government in poor light,” he said.He added that the approach lacked any planning and overlooked the plight of thousands of people.The saffron camp’s fear is not baseless as public sentiments after the drive has not been encouraging.

Dehradun: BJP state chief Ajay Bhatt has admitted that the ongoing demolition drive in Dehradun could affect the party and its prospects in the upcoming civic body polls scheduled to be held in September.Bhatt said a discussion regarding the anti-encroachment drive ordered by Uttarakhand high court was held in the party’s recent executive meeting at Kashipur. After the high court order of razing encroachments, the district administration and MDDA demolished over 1,600 structures from every nook and cranny of the city.The BJP camp is worried about a negative perception being generated that the demolition drive was being carried out by the ruling party. “We are caught in a dilemma as being the state government we have to implement the high court order and it is also our moral duty to safeguard the interest of the people,” Bhatt said.Bhatt added that the party would be working towards “dispelling the myth being propagated by the opposition Congress that the BJP government is behind the demolition drive”.“We will let the people know that we are just implementing the high court order regarding the removal of encroachments,” he said.Ahead of the poll season, the Congress is sure of rake up the demolition issue in Dehradun, which also has a mayor seat.Former CM Harish Rawat blamed the ill-preparedness of the state government for the demolition drive. “The delay in approaching the supreme court and failing to convince the high court about the hardships to be faced by thousands of people and the fierce monsoon, clearly shows the state government in poor light,” he said.He added that the approach lacked any planning and overlooked the plight of thousands of people.The saffron camp’s fear is not baseless as public sentiments after the drive has not been encouraging. Resident Deepak Negi, who has a shop near DAV College, said, “The drive has hit everyone in the city and no BJP leaders came to help the shopkeepers or house owners. No one is going to forget this during the civic poll.”

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