Illegal mining: BJP MLA asks officials to release vehicle, draws flak

A BJP legislator from Haridwar has drawn flak for allegedly pressurising forest department employees to release a vehicle that was caught carrying illegally quarried riverbed material.

Aadesh Chauhan, two-time BJP MLA from Ranipur-BHEL assembly seat, arrived at a forest department post late on Saturday and scolded beat officials for “harassing” the driver of the trolley carrying the material, sources familiar with the incident said.

Chauhan went on the back foot when the forest staff told him that the trolley driver failed to show permit for quarrying and tried to flee from the scene.

“The legislator came angrily but left in a hurry when he came to know that the trolley was ferrying illegally mined material. Probably the material was being taken for the construction work going on at Chauhan’s house because otherwise MLAs don’t intervene so easily for ordinary citizens,” said a BJP activist who was present at the forest post during the incident.

Former Congress MLA Ambrish Kumar said, “The incident exposed the real face of the BJP and its hollow claims about zero tolerance against corruption.” Uttarakhand Kranti Dal leader UD Semwal said, “It indicates the misuse of power which the BJP lawmakers may be indulging in.”

Chauhan said he was misled by the trolley driver who claimed that he was being “harassed” by forest officials. “As I was passing through the area, I thought of visiting the (forest) post and enquiring about the matter personally but left immediately after I was briefed (about illegal quarrying) by the officials.”

Chauhan denied the allegation that the quarrying material was being taken for construction work at his house.