Centre Trying to Muscle Our Small State: Uttarakhand CM Rawat

Harish Rawat says he will release a list of BJP members who acquired land in Uttarakhand at heavily subsidised rates.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat during the cabinet meeting in Dehradun on Saturday, 19 March 2016. (Photo: IANS)

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat made a statement in defense of the allegations made against him on Monday evening.

He addressed the three allegations made against him on the issues of:

• Smart city
  
• Land allotment
  
• Mining mafia

He said that it was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government which had promoted the concept of smart cities in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun region.

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat on Monday 21 March 2016. (Photo: ANI)

He cited a statement dated 10 July 2014 by the government stating that the Centre wished to turn 100 cities, including Dehradun, into smart cities.

Hitting back at the ruling party, Rawat said that the government is using its brute power to muscle in on a small state like Uttarakhand.

Harish Rawat is not important, CMs come and go. But if ‘dhan-shakti’ is used to bring change in the government then every year a CM will be removed this way which will lead to political instability in the state.

Harish Rawat, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand

He then went on to take a dig at the Congress members who recently joined the BJP and others who made allegations against him by saying:

I could not stand people who are killing democracy and breaching the borders of the Constitution making such allegations against me.

He said he will be releasing a list of BJP members who bought government land at heavily subsidised prices.

Also read: Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat Meets Governor KK Paul at Raj Bhawan