Trivendra Singh Rawat Alleges Rampant Illegal Mining in Uttarakhand, Urges Special Task Force
New Delhi: Uttarakhand has been rocked by a series of accusations about corruption and statements from senior Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries in the state, including an ex-chief minister, on goings on in the hill-state. These have caused deep unease in the ruling BJP.
Former chief minister and Haridwar MP, Trivendra Singh Rawat has expressed concern over the current state of affairs in the state. He has also cautioned the government “against any actions that might damage the image of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said it is his duty to repeatedly warn those responsible so that the party’s credibility is not undermined”, reports The Garhwal Post.
Addressing media persons in Dehradun on August 25, Rawat described the situation around corruption allegations in the state as serious and regrettable. He also pointed out, as per reports on the press conference in the local media, that in certain cases, the police had failed to file First Information Reports (FIRs) even after eight months, and in some other cases, FIRs had not been registered even after two months. Rawat asserted that the public had placed faith in the BJP by electing 47 MLAs and five MPs, and it is therefore essential to ensure that this trust is not broken.
BJP won a three-fourths majority in the state assembly in 2022, becoming the first party in the state to win two consecutive assembly polls.
The former BJP chief minister and current MP spoke about charges of illegal mining in the state. He said that all mining activity needs to be conducted strictly within the legal framework. He also said mining had its uses for Uttarakhand, “as without it, rivers would considerably damage agricultural fields and the state would also suffer significant financial losses in revenue.” He emphasised that natural resources must be utilised, but “within reasonable limits.”
Senior leader and former minister in the state cabinet, Harak Singh Rawat has also caused a storm in the state by alleging that the BJP has turned illegal funds from mining into an “FD” (or fixed deposit in a bank) worth Rs 30 crore, of which he said he had also contributed Rs 1 crore. This allegation was first made on August 22 by him, leading to alarm and deep unease in the state BJP, reports Navbharat Times. When he was being garlanded at a Congress party event, Harak had thundered, “I won’t wear a garland till I defeat the BJP.”
Harak Singh Rawat said that when he was forest minister in the BJP ministry in the state, he had deposited Rs 1 crore. “If ED was to investigate corruption charges fairly, all of BJP would be in jail”, he said. “BJP has provoked me, now I will show them their place,” he threatened.
The video from the meeting where he made those allegations have been viral on social media for some days now.
The BJP state chief, Mahendra Bhatt, as per news reports had said in response that “Harak Singh has lost credibility. If he has any proof he should go to court, not give statements in the media.” BJP spokesperson Manveer Chauhan said Harak Singh was saying all this to divert attention from the ED probe against him.
Harak Singh Rawat quit the ruling BJP just ahead of the 2022 assembly polls and joined the Congress.
The Hindu had reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 19, 2025 had filed a chargesheet, before a special PMLA court, against Harak Singh Rawat and his wife, Deepti Rawat, apart from some others, in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged usurping of two land parcels in Dehradun, the state capital of Uttarakhand. ED had said in its statement that the market value of the land was more than Rs 70 crore.
Elections for the state assembly due in 2027 have made the ruling BJP more anxious about comments from BJP leaders and former leaders. Recent Panchayat elections dealt a blow to the BJP’s electoral dominance in the state, with independents claiming the largest share of seats and delivering a notable blow “particularly impacting the BJP”, as per The New Indian Express. Of the 358 Zila Panchayat member seats, Independents got 145, BJP-backed candidates won 121, and Congress-backed candidates obtained 92. Several relatives of BJP leaders were defeated, said the newspaper.
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