Yogi authorities’s motion to run bulldozers in Haridwar sparks outrage amongst Akhara saints

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: Bairagi saints in Haridwar on Thursday condemned the demolition of their huts by the Uttar Pradesh irrigation division on the pretext of eradicating encroachments and threatened to go on an indefinite starvation strike if the reconstruction isn’t accomplished by February 13. In the assembly held at Haridwar Nirmohi Akhara, the saints dwelling in Bairagi Camp space additionally demanded the Uttar Pradesh
authorities take motion in opposition to the officers involved. The saints additionally threatened to file a contempt of courtroom case in opposition to the officers.

Addressing numerous saints, Mahant Baba Balram Das Hathyogi of Digambar Akhara stated, “Bairagi Camp land is Kumbh mela land reserved for Bairagi Akharas where all the three Bairagi Akharas – Shri Panch Nirmahi Ani Akhara, Shri Panch Nirvani Ani Akhara and Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara- are held. But the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department repeatedly harassed saints in the name of encroachment which will not be accepted”.

Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey advised The New Indian Express, “The matter is completely related to the Uttar Pradesh government. Since the property is located in Uttarakhand, we provide them police assistance at the same time when help is sought from Uttarakhand in terms of law and order”.

Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department SDO ShivKumar Kaushik advised this newspaper, “UP owns 1500 hectares of land in Uttarakhand. 700 hectares of land is transferred to Uttarakhand during each Kumbh Mela, which is automatically transferred to Uttar Pradesh after the completion of the mela”. “After the Kumbh Mela ended in 2021, there are some illegal occupants still present on it, who are being duly removed”, added SDO Kaushik.

“On a PIL filed in the Uttarakhand High Court by Congress leader Dharamveer Saini regarding encroachment at Bairagi camp, the irrigation department had prepared a list of 658 families which were to be removed in the name of illegal encroachment,” native councillor Sachin Agarwal stated. “These three akharas are among the many 658 households in opposition to which the saints had appealed within the excessive courtroom. He received a keep order from the courtroom, a replica of which was additionally made accessible to the Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh a number of days in the past.

Mahant Vishnu Das Maharaj of Nirmohi Akhara stated, “It is not yet decided whether this land belongs to the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department or the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department, but the UP officials are harassing the saints”. He additionally alleged, “Hundreds of illegal permanent constructions in bairagi camp are not being removed and only Bairagi Akharas are being targeted”.

DEHRADUN: Bairagi saints in Haridwar on Thursday condemned the demolition of their huts by the Uttar Pradesh irrigation division on the pretext of eradicating encroachments and threatened to go on an indefinite starvation strike if the reconstruction isn’t accomplished by February 13. In the assembly held at Haridwar Nirmohi Akhara, the saints dwelling in Bairagi Camp space additionally demanded the Uttar Pradesh
authorities take motion in opposition to the officers involved. The saints additionally threatened to file a contempt of courtroom case in opposition to the officers.

Addressing numerous saints, Mahant Baba Balram Das Hathyogi of Digambar Akhara stated, “Bairagi Camp land is Kumbh mela land reserved for Bairagi Akharas where all the three Bairagi Akharas – Shri Panch Nirmahi Ani Akhara, Shri Panch Nirvani Ani Akhara and Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara- are held. But the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department repeatedly harassed saints in the name of encroachment which will not be accepted”.

Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey advised The New Indian Express, “The matter is completely related to the Uttar Pradesh government. Since the property is located in Uttarakhand, we provide them police assistance at the same time when help is sought from Uttarakhand in terms of law and order”.

Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department SDO ShivKumar Kaushik advised this newspaper, “UP owns 1500 hectares of land in Uttarakhand. 700 hectares of land is transferred to Uttarakhand during each Kumbh Mela, which is automatically transferred to Uttar Pradesh after the completion of the mela”. “After the Kumbh Mela ended in 2021, there are some illegal occupants still present on it, who are being duly removed”, added SDO Kaushik.

“On a PIL filed in the Uttarakhand High Court by Congress leader Dharamveer Saini regarding encroachment at Bairagi camp, the irrigation department had prepared a list of 658 families which were to be removed in the name of illegal encroachment,” native councillor Sachin Agarwal stated. “These three akharas are among the many 658 households in opposition to which the saints had appealed within the excessive courtroom. He received a keep order from the courtroom, a replica of which was additionally made accessible to the Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh a number of days in the past.

Mahant Vishnu Das Maharaj of Nirmohi Akhara stated, “It is not yet decided whether this land belongs to the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department or the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department, but the UP officials are harassing the saints”. He additionally alleged, “Hundreds of illegal permanent constructions in bairagi camp are not being removed and only Bairagi Akharas are being targeted”.