Seer was protesting against licences given by Cong Govt: BJP

BJP’s central leadership on Wednesday defended the Uttarakhand Government against criticism over the death of the fasting seer Swami Nigamanand, who is now claimed to have been poisoned. Nigamanand was fasting for the last four months to oppose stone crushing and illegal mining along River Ganga in Haridwar.

The party attempted to turn tables on the Congress by claiming that all 12 licences for stone crushing were given during the previous Congress Government in Uttarakhand and the present BJP Government had put a ban on them after concerns raised by the seer and others.

“One of the licensees went to the court and got a stay on the ban by the Nishank Government. The seer was actually protesting against this stay by the court. It was not against the Uttarakhand Government, which was constantly in touch with the fasting seer and took every step to save his life,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She was responding to Congress tirade against the Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Government that it had double standards in dealing with seers. “A party involved in Ravanlila at Ramlila ground (lathicharge on Baba Ramdev’s supporters) has no moral right to question others,” Sitharaman retorted.

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