U'khand govt's drive against 'religious' encroachments to continue, says Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said his government's drive to clear encroachments, including ''religious symbols'' that alter the original character of the ''devbhoomi'', will continue.

The apparent reference was to what he had earlier described as encroachments in the name of ''land jihad''. Thousands of shrines have been built illegally on public and forest land without permission under a conspiracy, he had said.

Dhami told reporters here that the authorities in Uttarakhand have cleared encroachments from 3,300 acres, referring to the campaign that began this year.

Dhami, who was here to take part in the BJP's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra, also announced that his government will proceed towards implementing a uniform civil code in the state.

The law commission has made its recommendations, the government has also met stakeholders from religious and social organisations and it will proceed towards implementing the law, he said.

The Uttarakhand chief minister also hit out at the Congress government in Rajasthan, saying it did not want to utilise central funds for development and welfare schemes. He alleged that thousands of crores under the Jal Jeevan Mission was left unutilised as the state government did not want to benefit the people.

Blasting the Ashok Gehlot-led dispensation on law and order, he called on the people to throw out the Congress and join the BJP's double-engine government for progress and development.

Dhami said the yatra received huge public response and there is no doubt that the BJP is set to return to power.

The Uttarakhand chief minister also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, saying it is working to destroy the country and oppose Sanatan Dharma while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for progress and speaking of ''Sanatan Bhakti''.

''They oppose everything that is associated with Sanatan Dharma and, while opposing Modi, they oppose the country,'' Dhami said.

The alliance's senior leaders stayed silent on the ''disgraceful comments'' made on Sanatan Dharma, Dhami said and claimed ''Rajasthan has become a leading state to oppose Sanatan Hindu Sanskriti''. He also alleged that Hindu festivals ''are banned here''. Referring to the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the abolition of triple talaq, Dhami said the government led by Modi has done what it had promised. On the passing of the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, Dhami said women and youngsters have always been the party's priority.

He said the bill reflects the party's commitment to women -- ''Matra Shakti''.