A day after a police inspector was attacked allegedly by sand mafia in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday took aim at the ruling BJP government, saying those involved in the illegal activity feel emboldened because they are "paying commission" to legislators and ministers.
The BJP has dismissed Singh's allegation, saying it reflected the "working model and culture of the Congress".
Inspector Sudhir Singh Kushwaha was injured when the driver of a tractor carrying illegally excavated sand drove the vehicle into him near Gwalior city on Friday.
Police had arrested six persons in connection with the the incident, while Kushwaha was hospitalised.
"The people involved in illegal mining have been giving a cut (commission) to legislators (of the BJP) and ministers. Obviously, these people don't have any fear of law and they attack the police and administration (officials) every day. Such people cannot accept that they should be stopped despite giving money," Singh told reporters.
The Rajya Sabha MP said the illegal mining can be stopped in a day if administration acts seriously.
Hitting back at Singh, Madhya Pradesh BJP secretary Rahul Kothari told PTI that the views of the former reflect the "inside culture and working model" of the Congress.
"Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has relentlessly worked to eradicate all types of mafias. He had issued directives in various meetings to eliminate and uproot all types of mafias from the state," he said.
Kothari alleged the Congress was perhaps venting out its frustration in view of such directives and subsequent action taken by local administration against the sand mining mafia.
Meanwhile, Gwalior administration has decided to launch a drive against illegal mining by deploying a joint team of officials of police and mining departments.
"A joint team of the Mining department, the district administration and police will take action against the transport of illegally excavated sand. We are monitoring such activities round the clock through posts of the mining department. The mining in the Chambal river is illegal," Superintendent of Police Amit Sanghi said on Saturday.
Sanghi said the help of police personnel from adjoining Morena district will also be taken to stop the illegal transport of the excavated sand.
