BJP panel visits Bharatpur, Demands For CBI Probe Into Illegal Mining

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party's high-level committee has submitted a report to party president J.P. Nadda on Wednesday on the death of Sadhu Vijay Das, who committed self-immolation in protest against illegal mining in Bharatpur.

The four-member committee was formed on July 23rd by the party president constituting senior BJP leaders including M.P Arun Singh, M.P Swami Sumedhanand Saraswati, former Union Minister and M.P Satya Pal Singh, former Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh and M.P Brijlal Yadav.

The party said that the BJP committee members visited Pasopa village in the district and met the saints and local people in the village. The party members have collected the data at different levels and visited the passage of the mining area as well where they met those agitating against illegal mining. The members of the committee have asked about the police-administration of Bharatpur district to take factual information from the officers.

The BJP senior members noted that locals have expressed anger and resentment towards the Congress government of Rajasthan regarding the self-immolation of Sadhu Vijay Das.

BJP, which stands in the opposition in the state of Rajasthan, has demanded for a CBI inquiry into the matter. Vijay Das died on July 23rd after which the party formed a high-level committee to look into the matter. Party president J.P. Nadda has said the report, submitted by its Fact Finding team, exposes the "dismal state of affairs in Rajasthan and the rampant mining mafia raj".

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here in New Delhi, M.P Arun Singh said, "Swami Vijay Das ji and other sages and saints were on a dharna for months in protest against illegal mining. Vijay Das ji held a dharna (protest) for about 551 days but the Congress government of Rajasthan protected illegal mining and continued to give exemption to the mining operations."

The BJP general secretary also stated that a local hill considered holy by pilgrims has been destroyed by illegal mining which has also wrought destruction on the environment. He has demanded that the National Green Tribunal should probe the matter and that Ghelot's state government is certain to go.