Alleging that a nexus of mining mafia involving the Congress ministers of the Rajasthan government was the reason behind the self-immolation of seer Vijay Das in the ecologically sensitive zone in Bharatpur, the BJP on Wednesday demanded a CBI inquiry on the matter.
The BJP constituted fact-finding team, which has party general secretary Arun Singh and MPs Satya Pal Singh and Brij Lal, submitted the report to party president J P Nadda on Wednesday.
“The report exposes the dismal state of affairs in Rajasthan and the rampant mining mafia raj (sic),” Nadda tweeted.
Speaking to reporters, Singh said that the area of Kankachal and Adi Badri near Deeg in Bharatpur have seen illegal mining for years, and the seers were protesting it for more than 551 days.
“Mining in this area of Rajasthan should have been only 17 lakh metric tonnes in a year but within nine months they cleared the mountain by mining 30 lakh metric tonnes,” Singh said. He added that the locals, as well as seers, are facing intimidation and FIRs are not filed on the matter yet.
Singh further alleged that the nexus goes up to the office of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The BJP also said that the seer gave up his life to protest against the illegal mining in the Kankachal Hills region, which is part of the Braj Chaurasi pilgrim circuit.
“This is an ecologically sensitive zone and the matter is also religiously important to us,” Singh said, adding that the National Green Tribunal, too, should probe the matter.