Allegation of Dictatorship in Uttarakhand: Opposition Leaders Stopped From Going to Summer Capital Gairsain Ahead of Assembly Session

SUNIL NEGI

Gairsain / Dehradun

Allegations of dictatorship are being levelled against the Uttarakhand government as leaders and workers of opposition parties are allegedly being stopped from going to the state’s summer capital Gairsain.

The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly’s two-day session is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 27 at Bhararisain, Gairsain. Ahead of the session, the administration has tightened security across the entire Gairsain region.

According to official information, barricades have been installed at several points along the approach routes to Vidhan Bhavan, including at the Diwalikhal barrier. Heavy deployment of civil police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), tear gas squads and fire tenders has been made. Commuters heading towards the Assembly premises are being allowed through only after thorough checking.

Speaking to ANI, Superintendent of Police in charge of Diwalikhal, Bhararisain, Parmod Kumar said, “In view of the two-day assembly session, extensive security arrangements have been made. Barricades have been set up at various locations to intercept agitators and protesters. Specifically, a large force has been deployed here at the Diwalikhal barrier.”

The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee, led by state president Ganesh Godiyal, has called for a gherao of the Vidhan Bhavan during the session on 14 issues of public interest, including corruption, unemployment and alleged anti-people policies.

The water cannons have been opened at protest demonstrators by the police creating quite a choas and the barricades were erected at various points.

Congress leaders allege that in the name of security arrangements, their workers and leaders coming from Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Almora and other hill districts are being stopped, detained and prevented from reaching Gairsain. They have termed it an “undeclared emergency” and “murder of democracy” to stop democratic protests during the Assembly session.

Congress MLA Pritam Singh had already criticised the government for holding the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting in Dehradun instead of Gairsain, saying it shows that holding the session in Gairsain has been reduced to a mere formality.

The Congress MLAs also staged a protest dharna outside the Assbly building at Bhararisain with okaycards in their hands raising anti government slogans.

The government and Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri maintain that security arrangements are a routine part of established parliamentary practice to ensure a peaceful and dignified session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal has appealed to all parties to cooperate in the proceedings.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Bhararisain on Tuesday and met Speaker Ritu Khanduri, reaffirming that the hill-capital tradition being practiced since 2020 will continue.

The Gairsain session is politically symbolic. When Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, the demand for a capital in the hills – at Gairsain, which lies geographically between Garhwal and Kumaon – has been a decades-old emotional issue. While Dehradun remains the de facto administrative capital, Bhararisain near Gairsain was declared summer capital in 2020.

With opposition calling the barricading “tanashahi” and the administration calling it “security”, the stage is set for a confrontational two-day session beginning today.