Ramnagar: Political uproar over the occupation of Nainital’s Ramnagar Congress office has intensified. The dispute that started on Monday morning has become a big issue in state politics. Congress has termed it an attack on democracy. Many senior Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, State President Karan Mahara, Deputy Leader of Opposition Bhuvan Chandra Kapri, Haldwani MLA Sumit Hridayesh and Jaspur MLA Adesh Chauhan reached Ramnagar on Monday. All together made serious allegations against the government and administration.
In fact, there has been a long-standing land dispute between former Congress MLA Ranjit Singh Rawat and a building owner regarding the Congress office located on Ramnagar-Ranikhet Road. On Monday, the dispute deepened when some people allegedly from Uttar Pradesh broke the lock of the office and occupied it.
Congress State President Karan Mahara said that the forcible occupation of the party office in the presence of police proves that democracy is in danger in Uttarakhand. The government is adopting such tactics to divert attention from its failures. When the public started raising questions on issues like ceasefire, the government started carrying out incidents like Ramnagar to divert attention. People are now raising slogans of Indira Gandhi Zindabad and raising questions on the policies of Prime Minister Modi.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that this is completely illegal. Despite being a party office, breaking the lock and occupying it, and that too with the connivance of the police, clearly shows that the administration is working at the behest of the government. Congress alleged that the government wants to spread anarchy in the state and all this is being done to divert the attention of the public from the main issues. Congress leaders have warned the administration that if the situation worsens, the responsibility will be of the district administration and Ramnagar Kotwal. He also said that till they get the party office back, they will remain there.
Reacting to this entire matter, Ramnagar Tehsildar Manisha Markana said that this is a land dispute and legal action will be taken on the basis of the complaint of both the parties.
