The issue of the sand mafia’s activities and illegal mining practices sparked a significant debate in the Chhattisgarh Assembly today. The opposition sought a detailed discussion on the topic through an adjournment motion. However, the Speaker, Dr. Raman Singh, denied the motion. In response to this decision, the Congress MLAs chose to walk out of the assembly proceedings.
During the zero hour, the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Charandas Mahant, along with Bhupesh Baghel, Dwarkadhish Yadav, Umesh Patel, and other Congress MLAs, presented an adjournment motion. They claimed that illegal sand mining was rampant across the state, with the sand mafia operating under government protection. They also alleged that villagers opposing these activities were being assaulted and, in some cases, shot at. They further noted that despite complaints to the police, no action had been taken due to the alleged support from those in power. The opposition highlighted that this situation was creating unrest in Chhattisgarh, mirroring conditions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They requested a discussion on this critical issue, but the Speaker rejected the motion, citing that the matter had already been raised in a ‘Dhyanakarshan’. Consequently, the opposition members registered their protest by walking out.