"Land Jihad" Won't Be Allowed In State, Says Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami

Illegal encroachments in the name of "land jihad" will not be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Friday, amid an ongoing statewide drive to remove structures built without permission on government land.

Addressing a meeting of the Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Kendriya Margadarshak Mandal here, Dhami said, "Uttarakhand shares its borders with two countries (China and Nepal). A particular community had illegally encroached on land and raised structures in the border areas of the state, which are being removed as part of a drive." "Illegal encroachments in the name of land jihad will not be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in Uttarakhand", Dhami said.

He said the state government has already appealed to encroachers to remove such structures on their own, or the administration will demolish them.

Last month, Dhami warned occupiers of illegally built mazars (tombs) to remove those on their own and reiterated that his government would not allow "land jihad" in the state.

Under a conspiracy, thousands of shrines have been built illegally on public and forest land without permission, he said.

"Not a single illegally built religious structure will be allowed to remain standing in the state. All illegal structures will be completely demolished," Dhami said on Friday.

He said Uttarakhand will be the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). "The committee constituted to prepare a draft of the UCC has done 90 percent of its job and will submit its report to the state government by June 30," he said.

The UCC will be implemented after being examined, he said, adding that it will apply to people of all religions and communities.

Uttarakhand's UCC will become a model for the entire country, Dhami said.

The VHP's central Margadarshak Mandal is holding a two-day meeting here to debate a range of issues, including conversion, land jihad, same-sex marriages, and live-in relationships.

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