Nainital, May 28
There is an air of jubilation among the leaders of the Congress over the turmoil taking place at the top level in the state unit of the BJP.

Congress leaders say that it is the success of the party’s “Satyagraha programme” that has led to the pressing of the panic button in the BJP and the leadership of Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is under threat.

Senior Congress leader Dhirendra Pratap has stated, “They have been pushed into a corner on account of the success of the movement. The movement is yet to enter the Garhwal region which is said to be the stronghold of the Chief Minister. As for Kumaon, the response to the movement has been stupendous and the people have given their verdict that they want to do away with the present government in the state.”

The morale of the BJP cadre has been on the downslide since dissidence has once again risen against the leadership in the state.

This time around, it is the former Chief Ministers Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Maj-Gen BC Khanduri (retired) who are reportedly seeking the removal of Nishank.

Although the party leadership at the Centre is trying to put a lid on the brewing discontent, things are far from normal in the BJP.

Congress leaders say that there have been no less than six meetings over the last two months on the issue of leadership change in the BJP that have taken place in the national capital.

Observers see the central leadership of the BJP cracking under pressure of the dissidents as earlier it was adamant that the forthcoming poll would be contested under the leadership of Nishank, while now it has stated reportedly that the elections would be held under the joint leadership of Khanduri, Nishank and Koshiyari.

Sources within the BJP say that the support of former Chief Ministers is a must if the BJP wants to do well in the poll. While Koshiyari is learnt to have agreed to tow the party line, sources say that Khanduri is still adamant on his stand.

Haridwar, May 28
While Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, on his recent visit to the world-famous shrine, Piran Kaliyar, had announced to beautify the shrine in a bid to show his BJP-led Uttarakhand Government as pro-Muslims, the minority cell of the opposition Congress today dismissed the CM’s claim, terming it as “bubbles, having no serious intent”.

Rao Sher Mohammed, state chief of the minority cell, said what was being spent in Piran Kaliyar was just the donated money of devotees.

The BJP government was trying to fool the people by saying that it was the state government’s grant.

The issue of the BSP aligning with the BJP in the just-held zila panchayat elections was also taken up by the Congress minority cell with Rao Affaq Ali, secretary of the state Congress, terming it as a “betrayal” by the state unit of the BSP of the faith of Muslims who had voted for them.

Affaq targeted BSP legislator Mohammed Shahzad for being behind the scene for a BSP alliance with a party which is non-secular. “The BSP leaders sought vote from the minority as the lone party catering to their aspirations but now the same party leaders connived with a fascist party in the district just to gain power in Zila panchayat. This has not gone down well with the minority people. It’s now clear that only Congress caters to this segment,” he added.

Dehradun, May 28
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay today sought better treatment for Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans manning the border along the Milum Glacier in Uttarakhand.

Talking to mediapersons on the conclusion of the Uttarakhand leg of the “Border Darshan Yatra” of the BJP at the state party office in Dehradun, Tarun Vijay said the ITBP personnel were facing inhospitable conditions on the border. Immediate improvement in the conditions was needed.

He said while the Chinese troops had access to motorable roads right up to the Indo-Tibetan border, the ITBP personnel had to trek 105 km to reach the border. He said often an ITBP jawan had to carry 30 kg of material apart from arms and ammunition on this trek that was most treacherous and involved a difficult ascent.

Tarun Vijay said the ITBP jawans felt discriminated against even in terms of facilities of power and smooth communications. “They are not given any chopper and in case of emergency they are at the mercy of other organisations like the Army for assistance”, Tarun Vijay said.

He said road construction works connecting Milum to Munsiyari were still to be completed. The work had been going on for eight years.

He said even the communication facilities were not up to the mark. The sole basic phone on the border functioned on solar batteries. During winters, solar batteries do not work bringing communication to a halt.

He said the “Border Darshan Yatra” team had given its recommendations regarding the steps needed to improve conditions on the borders to former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in Delhi recently.

Haridwar, May 28
A two-day convention, ‘Samagra Ganga-Samvad Samadhaan’, began today with experts dwelling on the outline of the save Ganga movement, alternatives for hydropower projects in the hilly terrains, employment avenues for people living adjacent to the Ganga and other tributaries apart from a strategy on how to take forward the movement to ensure that the Centre accepts the agenda of this movement.

Varied sections of society are supporting the campaign launched by former MP Chief Minister Uma Bharti to save the Ganga. Be it saints, politicians, environmentalists, chiefs of Hindu frontal organisations, social activists or people from the hilly regions of the state, everyone seemed united to support the Ganga movement.

Addressing the maiden session of the convention, international chief of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal urged all and sundry to participate in this noble cause. He also announced his support to the anti-corruption movement to be carried out by Swami Ramdev from the next month onwards.

Singhal claimed that though many such movements to save the Ganga were carried out in the past, the ongoing movement would be the one that would be successful both in its objective and impact. “We will surely achieve success as the support of the masses is with us. I have noticed that people from various walks of life are supporting Uma Bharti’s agitation from Day 1. We are geared up to make sure that the second phase of the agitation to be carried out in Delhi also fructified like the first phase,” said Singhal. He has been camping in Haridwar for the past three days having talks with saints and socio-political organisations regarding the movement.

Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Acharya Gobindacharya said several mass agitations carried out in the past in the country had achieved success and this time too, the Central Government would have to bow down as the common man was also supporting this cause.

He said: “The way hydropower projects are being carried out on the Ganga in the hills and the river is getting polluted, it’s high time that we all get united to make a permanent policy that caters to the cause of the Ganga,” said Gobindacharya.

Former minister Swami Chinmayanand, Akhada Parishad national spokesperson Baba Hatyogi, economist Bharat Jhnujhunwala, former state minister Mohan Singh Rawat ‘Gaonwasi’, various environmentalists, scientists, geologists and social activists addressed sessions of the convention.

Tomorrow, Uma Bharti will be announcing the crux of the ongoing convention from Brahamkund, Har-Ki-Pauri, after taking a holy dip in the Ganga.

Haridwar, May 28
While on the issue of the Ganga, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Ashok Singhal and Akhada Parishad national spokesperson Baba Hatyogi were unanimous, on support to yoga guru Swami Ramdev, both the bigwigs seem to be on the opposite side.

Baba Hatyogi took exception to the statement of Singhal given in favour of Swami Ramdev’s anti-corruption movement that is focusing on black money and corruption primarily. It will kick off on June 4 in New Delhi’s Ram Leela ground.

Singhal has been meeting heads of saints’ community and akhadas, trying to bring them on one platform on the issue of Swami Ramdev’s agitation, though most of the saints affiliated with a dozen-odd akhadas are keeping silent on the issue, citing divisions in the Akhada Parishad itself.

This did not go down well with Baba Hatyogi who urged Singhal not to seek support for a person whose rise to fame particularly in terms of property was a matter of concern and it was not justifiable that Swami Ramdev was making black money a vital issue while he himself had not declared openly his 25,000-odd crore property.

On this aspect, Acharya Bala Krishan, protégé of Swami Ramdev, tried to avoid controversy, saying that their focus was just on the movement that had already witnessed more than 45 lakh people joining in.

The Acharya said that just one or two negative statements could not be equated with the millions following this movement that would be historic.

Notably, Baba Hatyogi had in the past, too, made several verbal attacks on Swami Ramdev, cornering him on land procurement for Patanjali Yogpeeth, commenting that Swami Ramdev had even given a bribe of Rs 25 lakh to a state Cabinet minister.

The latest controversy has surely added fire to the already existing rivalry between the two saints who have been at loggerheads since the rise of Swami Ramdev as global yoga guru.

Dehradun, May 28
In a bid to propagate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state, the Uttarakhand Government today released Rs 11 crore for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

In the past four years, the state government had released Rs 45 crore for cultural activities, Cultural Affairs Minister Vijaya Barthwal said.

The government had pledged its full support and cooperation in encouraging cultural activities in the state through several schemes and policies, she added.

Barthwal said a Himalayan museum would soon come up in Rishikesh. Further, she said she had issued directives to officials for the proper maintenance of temples in the state. — PTI

Pithoragarh, May 28
The Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation Department was making all efforts to cope with natural disasters during the monsoon this year, said Hira Dhapola, vice-chairman of the advisory committee on disaster management here today.

“We have found that 203 villages in the state are vulnerable to disasters. Following this, we have provided training to 25 youths from each of these villages on disaster mitigation and rescue and relief operations,” he said.

Dhapola said as the government had no spare land, they could not shift these villagers to some other place. “We have requested the Centre to provide land to relocate these villagers,” he said.

He further said they were surveying villages from the geological point of view and trying to find out possibilities to forecast the disaster keeping the density of rains in mind.

He said Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Almora districts were more vulnerable to landslides.