Illegal encroachments in name of "land jihad" will not be allowed in Uttarakhand: Dhami

Illegal encroachments in the name of “land jihad” will not be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said

Illegal encroachments in the name of "land jihad" will not be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on May 26, amid an ongoing statewide drive to remove structures built without permission on government land.

Addressing a meeting of the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Kendriya Margadarshak Mandal here, Mr. Dhami said, "Uttarakhand shares its borders with two countries (China and Nepal). A particular community had illegally encroached land and raised structures in the border areas of the state which are being removed as part of a drive."

"Illegal encroachments in the name of land jihad will not be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in Uttarakhand", Mr. Dhami said.

He said the state government has already appealed to encroachers to remove such structures on their own or the administration will demolish them.

Last month, Mr. Dhami warned occupiers of illegally built mazars (tombs) to remove those on their own and reiterated that his government would not allow “land jihad” in the state.

Under a conspiracy, thousands of shrines have been built illegally on public and forest land without permission, he had said.

"Not a single illegally built religious structure will be allowed to remain standing in the state. All illegal structures will be completely demolished," Mr. Dhami said on May 26.