Youth Congress to lay siege to illegal mining sites

Accusing the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership of patronising illegal mining in Punjab, the state's Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary on Sunday said his party cadres would raid illegal mining sites.

Accusing the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership of patronising illegal mining in Punjab, the state's Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary on Sunday said his party cadres would raid illegal mining sites.

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In a statement, he warned that after the culmination of his Adhikar Yatra on October 31, the Youth Congress shall "lay siege to the rivers which have become the den of the sand mafia and raid illegal mining sites all over Punjab, taking the media along."

"Everyone is aware of the fact that it (illegal mining) is now a lucrative business of the Badals under the foremanship/subedari of Bikram Singh Majithia," Chaudhary said.

He also ridiculed chief minster Parkash Singh Badal for blaming the union government's delay in giving clearances to mining sites, saying that the Akali-BJP government was not sincere about legalising the mining trade in the state just to benefit the illegal mining mafia.

Leading the yatra of the YC cadres, Chaudhary on Sunday reached Bajwa Kalan village near Shahkot in Jalandhar district, where he expressed grave concern over illegal mining in that area.