‘Criminal’ in Haj panel sparks ire

Seething against the ruling Congress for nominating people with alleged criminal links to the State Haj Committee and removing names of Van Gujjars from the voters’ list, leaders of both the communities have shot off letters to party president Sonia Gandhi, seeking her immediate intervention.

In his letter to Sonia, state Congress general secretary Sarvat Karim Ansari writes that it was a pity that a member of the Uttaranchal State Haj Committee, recently constituted by Chief Minister Narain Datt Tiwari to look after the pilgrims, was in jail on criminal charges. Maulana Sibte Hasan, is behind bars in a case registered against him under Sections 365/420/468/467/120-B of the IPC in Maglore police station of Haridwar district. It has also been alleged that some members of the 15-point Programme Implementation Committee for Minorities, set up by the state government, have criminal records.

Officer on Special Duty at the Chief Minister’s office, Laiq Ahmed, who looks after Wakf and Haj affairs, said Sibte Hasan had submitted his resignation before being jailed.

The Van Gujjars are complaining, as the names of 600 of their voters have been dropped from the electoral rolls in Gram Sabha Bhavan Khutta and Gauri in Yamkeshwar block of Pauri Garhwal district, just ahead of the Panchayat polls this month. Following several representations to the Election Department, they were told that there were verbal instructions to remove their names since they lived in forests.