Uttarakhand: Congress marches to Secretariat, alleges land scam, anti-people policies

Accusing the BJP government of facilitating a massive land grab and pursuing anti-people policies, the Uttarakhand Congress on Monday staged a high-voltage protest march towards the state secretariat, alleging widespread irregularities in land deals and growing unemployment among the youth.

Led by state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, hundreds of party leaders and workers assembled at the Congress headquarters in Dehradun before marching towards the secretariat, raising slogans against the Pushkar Singh Dhami government.

Protesters carried banners emblazoned with the slogan, "Remove Dhami, save Uttarakhand's land," as they accused the government of allowing valuable land parcels to fall into the hands of powerful interests.

The march, however, was stopped by heavy police barricading near the secretariat. Congress workers staged a sit-in at the spot after being denied permission to proceed. Tensions briefly escalated when some protesters attempted to breach the barricades, prompting police intervention. Several workers were detained before being released later.

Addressing the gathering, Godiyal launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP, alleging that leaders associated with the government had devised multiple ways to profit from land transactions.

"The BJP government has opened the doors for corruption through land deals. Government land is being handed over to mafias and favoured groups. Land is being sold at such a pace that a day may come when ordinary people will not even have space left to stand," he alleged.

The Congress leader also referred to the alleged Haridwar Municipal Corporation land purchase scam, claiming that the action taken against officials after the investigation had exposed serious irregularities and highlighted the need for greater transparency in land-related decisions.

"The developments in the Haridwar land case clearly indicate that accountability is lacking. The people of Uttarakhand deserve transparency in every land transaction undertaken by the government," he said.

Godiyal further alleged that nearly 100 proposals were being prepared to transfer land to preferred individuals before the election code of conduct comes into effect, claiming that public resources were being distributed to benefit a select few.

Apart from land issues, the Congress also targeted the government over unemployment, accusing it of failing to create adequate opportunities for young people.

"This government is anti-youth. Unemployment has reached such levels that young men and women are struggling to build their futures. Parents are worried and heartbroken watching their children remain jobless," Godiyal said.

Following the protest, Congress leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami through government officials, demanding action on the issues raised by the party.

Several Congress MLAs, senior leaders and Congress Mahila Morcha president Jyoti Rautela participated in the demonstration, turning the protest into a significant show of strength by the opposition ahead of the state's political battles in the coming months.

With PTI inputs