Early Times report
JAMMU, June 10: A day after BJP minister Abdul Gani Kohli blamed his party colleague and Forest Minister Bali Bhagat for "harassment" of tribals in Jammu, the latter on Wednesday while advising Kohli to "keep mum" over the issue said that his colleague lacks discipline and doesn't know how to react over an issue.
"Kohli is my party colleague but he lacks discipline. He has really no discipline. Kohli is a new politician and it will take time for him to learn the art of politics," Baghat told a news agency, adding that as Forest Minister no one can stop him from driving encroachers away from the 'encroached' forest land.
Kohli, who is Transport Minister, had told a Srinagar newspaper that he doesn't know why eviction drive was started all of a sudden and he feels that Baghat is doing it at his own level.
When asked why eviction drive has been started against a particular community, Baghat said that he doesn't bother who is who. "Whosoever has encroached forest land will face the music and will be driven away. The eviction drive will continue. I am not targeting Muslims, but if any Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Dogra or Rajput has encroached the forest land too, he will also be driven away," he said.
He refuted the allegations that Muslim officers have been replaced by Hindu officers.
Pertinently, the "anti-encroachment" drive and reported demolition of Kothas in some areas of Jammu including Kalakote, Shidhra, Bathandi started following an order by General Administration Department last month. |
