Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday raised serious concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in Rajasthan, pointing particularly to illegal sand mining. He urged Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma to rely on intelligence reports to assess the ground reality, claiming there is a “powerful nexus from top to bottom” enabling illegal operations. “Even during our tenure, sand mining posed challenges, but we made efforts to curb it,” he said, adding that frequent attacks on police and threats to those opposing the mining mafia are on the rise. He emphasized that sand is a basic need, and its inflated pricing hurts the poor the most. Gehlot also urged the CM to prioritise addressing these issues.
Gehlot further criticized the state’s collapsing administrative machinery, saying people no longer know where to file complaints as redressal systems have eroded. He noted that district collectors rarely hold public hearings, police superintendents remain absent, and night visits to villages have stopped. He called on the government to be accountable and verify public grievances through discreet Intelligence Bureau (IB) inquiries. Gehlot reminded Sharma that he has a rare opportunity as a first-time MLA directly made CM, and should rise above personal interests to deliver good governance.
Responding to Gehlot’s remarks, BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bhardwaj accused the Congress of hypocrisy, stating that the sand mafia flourished during Gehlot’s tenure. “Those who allowed illegal mining to thrive are now issuing statements after being voted out,” he said. Bhardwaj asserted that the BJP government is committed to eradicating the mafia networks fostered under Congress rule and demanded an apology from Congress leaders for what he described as a reign of terror inflicted on Rajasthan’s people.
