Mohali, March 27 The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday alleged that illegal mining was taking place along the Siswan River in the Majri block of the Kharar Assembly constituency, despite claims by the Punjab government of strict action.
The party's media head in the state, Vineet Joshi, said he visited the area after complaints from villagers and found that illegal mining was being carried out in several villages, including Sohali, Nangliyan, Kherpur and Fatehgarh.
He said the claims made by Punjab Mines and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal about curbs on illegal mining do not match the ground situation.
Joshi alleged that the mining mafia is operating with political support and claimed that locals have raised allegations involving relatives of AAP leader Anmol Gagan Mann.
He also alleged that despite large-scale mining, especially at night, the authorities have not taken action, and demanded that the Bhagwant Mann government crack down on the activity.