New Delhi, Nov 2 The Congress on Monday alleged that the BJP’s “double-engine” government in Uttarakhand has “betrayed” people’s hopes and aspirations, as the opposition party vowed to deliver accountable governance if voted to power.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made the assertion after chairing a meeting with leaders of Uttarakhand to review preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. The state goes to polls early next year.
Besides Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal, among others, attended the meeting at the Congress president’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence.
Later, in a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said, “The double-engine government of the BJP in Uttarakhand has, over its ten years, betrayed the hopes and aspirations of the state’s people.”
“A collapsed law-and-order system, serious questions over women’s safety, the arrogance of power, and a persistent tendency to evade accountability have left the people of the state disillusioned,” he claimed.
The people of Uttarakhand are now demanding accountability and seeking change, he said.
The Congress is fighting with full vigour for the rights and entitlements of the people, from the streets to the legislature, the party chief said.
“Our resolve is to win the trust of the people and give Devbhoomi Uttarakhand a secure, sensitive, and accountable government that places public welfare above all,” Kharge added.
In a post, Venugopal said the youth and women of Uttarakhand “face severe injustice – from leaked papers to a mockery of justice in the Ankita Bhandari case”.
“In 2027, the people will unseat the BJP and ensure a thumping majority of the Congress that will bring back a people’s regime in these states,” he claimed, referring to Uttarakhand and Manipur where elections are due early next year.
“The anger we saw at Ramlila Maidan yesterday was only a glimpse of the sweeping anti-incumbency sentiment we see in these BJP-ruled states.”
He alleged that “hatred, loot, land-grab and total misgovernance” symbolise BJP’s “trouble engine model” in these states.
“Devbhoomi Uttarakhand’s temples have also not been spared from the Chanda Chori (theft of donations) that the BJP has mastered in Ayodhya and all across India.
“Not only the holy temples, but the BJP’s greed in Uttarakhand is seeing vast mountains being handed over to corporates – despite clear warnings from Mother Nature against such wanton destruction,” Venugopal added.
AICC in-charge for Uttarakhand Kumari Selja said Uttarakhand Congress participated in an important meeting in the presence of top party leaders.
Selja said that in the past 10 years, the BJP government in Uttarakhand has completely failed on every major issue, including law and order, education, health, women’s safety, unemployment, and migration.
“The people of Devbhoomi, tormented by the failures of the BJP government and its anti-people policies, have now made up their minds for change.
“The Congress party is fighting with full strength for the rights and dignity of the people of Uttarakhand. Our resolve is clear: to free the state from the BJP’s failed policies and advance the politics of public welfare, development, and accountability,” she said.
At the meeting, there was a meaningful discussion on the current political situation in Uttarakhand, the people’s problems in the state, and organisational matters, Selja said.
“We are all prepared and our programmes are going on well. On November 4, we will hold a big rally during which we will expose corruption, especially in the sale of land parcels.
“Wherever land scams have taken place, we would make public such details and will hold dharnas across the state. Corruption against the Dhami government is a big issue and people’s land is being ‘looted’,” Selja told reporters after the meeting.
Later, the Uttarakhand state leadership also met Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
(PTI News)
