Attack on mining official: SAD to raise issue in state assembly, opponents target Congres

PATIALA: The attack on general manager of the mining department TS Sekhon by henchmen of the mining mafia, on Sunday, seems to have provided political ammunition to the rival parties that have decided to use the same to corner the state government on the issue.

While the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to raise the issue on state assembly and hold statewide protests, the Aam Adami Party has blamed the Congress MLAs of providing political patronage to the mining mafia. The BJP has also targeted the Congress claiming statements issued by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh against illegal mining have proved to be an eye-wash.

SAD MLA from Sanour Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra stated that he would be raising the issue in the state assembly during the next session. He said after Rana Gurjit Singh tried to grab the mining contracts by putting forward his close aids, now the incident at Rajgarh village in Ghanaur Segment has underlined the fact that the Congress leaders and MLA had established themselves as 'illegal miners' in the state.

Former Akali minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said the party had decided to hold protests across the state against the Congress government and the manner in which they were patronising the anti-social elements and promoting illegal mining.

Aam Adami Party (AAP) leader Anu Jasjit Randhawa, who had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections from Ghanaur, said there was a kind of 'goonda raj' in the constituency as a senior mining official was thrashed by the mafia, who showed no fear of the law.

She said the even during the rule of the SAD-BJP there was no check on illegal mining and the same mafia was still active in the constituency, now under the protection of the Congress MLA.

Later, she posted on her social media account- 'Mining officer attacked in Ghanaur; Illegal mining rampant! Mining officer manhandled!.' In another post, she stated 'Congress MLA Ghanaur behind mining mafia.'

Harjit Grewal, state vice-president of the BJP, who had contested the assembly elections from Rajpura, said not only in Ghanaur, but illegal mining was going on unabated in the entire state and it was not without political protection. He said the manner in which a senior mining official was thrashed and then detained by the cops., vindicated this fact. He said all statements given by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh regarding a tough stance against illegal mining had proved to be a mere eye-wash as his own party MLAs were involved in illegal mining.

Former SAD MLA from Ghanaur Harpreet Kaur said it was at the behest of the Ghanaur MLA Madan Lal Jalapur that illegal mining was being carried out in the constituency and the miners were showing no fear of the law. She said MLA's men had even put up illegal check posts across the constituency and were charging a 'goonda tax' of Rs 300 per tipper and Rs 50 per trolley.

Meanwhile, all attempts to contact Madan Lal Jalapur proved futile.