Harish Dhami, MLA from Dharchula assembly seat in Uttarakhand, is so angry with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami that he along with his supporters attacked the stage as soon as the Chief Minister stepped down. No MLA had done such a thing to anyone in Uttarakhand in the last decade in broad daylight on the platform of a Chief Minister. Different video clips of Harish Dhami are going viral on social media. Bharatiya Janata Party is cornering the State Congress on the pretext of this clip. This controversy seems to be a thorn in the side of Congress.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had come to attend the inauguration ceremony of Jauljibi Fair on Saturday. Congress MLA from Dharchula Harish Dhami created a ruckus on the same stage, threw the mike and made his supporters break chairs. The video of the entanglement is viral on social media. His supporters are seen creating ruckus. He has claimed that if Pushkar Singh Dhami contests against him, he will lose.
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What is the resentment about?
Pushkar Singh Dhami was going to address the public meeting at Jauljibi fair. Harish Dhami also wanted that he should get a chance to speak since he is the MLA of the area. When he did not get a chance to address the people from the stage, he became angry and flew into a rage. He directed his supporters to come on the stage. The MLA and supporters reached the stage and created a lot of ruckus there. Supporters threw chairs and broke the mike. There was a lot of commotion. In the video he is seen expressing his anger.
Harish Dhami, MLA:-
The Chief Minister is running away in fear because he has committed corruption. I have never been involved in corruption, so I am not afraid of anything. I have clearly told the Chief Minister to take whatever action needs to be taken.
Why is Harish Dhami so angry with CM Dhami?
Harish Dhami alleges that he has been kept entangled in legal matters for years. He said that if another case is filed, he will face that too. Handcuffs are like jewelery for them. Harish Dhami gave a direct challenge to the Chief Minister and said that if you have the courage, come before him in the by-election today itself. He also said that if he does not get the Chief Minister's bail confiscated, his name will not be Harish Dhami.
On the basis of which issues is Dhami cornering the government?
Harish Dhami also raised questions on the Chief Minister's statement regarding the road till Lipulekh. They linked it to the death of an eight-year-old child. He says that the Chief Minister had gone to the child's house a day earlier to express his condolences. Despite this he is talking about building such a good road.
MLA Harish Dhami also raised the issue of the people of Kanar who are fasting unto death in Bitaulgarh. He said that it was expected that the Chief Minister would take concrete steps and send his representative to get the people to end the fast. The Chief Minister's representative should have also visited the family of the deceased child. The government should have admitted its mistake.
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Who is Harish Dhami?
Harish Singh Dhami has been MLA three times. He won from this seat for the first time in 2012. After this he also won the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. In the year 2014, Harish Dhami had given up his seat for the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat. After this he was made the Chairman of Forest Development Corporation and got the status of Cabinet Minister. He won the seat again in 2017.
Harish Dhami has also been a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the Petition Committee. Later he also served in the Estimates Committee and Scheduled Castes, Tribes and OBC Welfare Committee. After winning the elections in 2017, he again became a member of the Scheduled Caste, Tribe and OBC Welfare Committee. He managed to win in 2022.
Harish Dhami is 50 years old. He is the son of veteran leader Paan Singh. He is 12th pass and his wife is an industrialist. A construction company of the wife is registered in the name of 'Jai Mata Construction Company'. According to the affidavit of the year 2022, he has declared his assets to be more than Rs 4 crore. He has a debt of more than Rs 2 crore. He owns many hotels and wedding halls, houses and lands. He also has a Pajero, Thar, Endeavour, Swift, two motorcycles, a dumper, two Poklanes and a JCB.
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How is the criminal record?
A criminal case is pending against Harish Dhami. It is attached to Munsiyari police station and is being tried in the court of Judicial Magistrate, Didihat. Sections 332 and 504 of IPC are involved in this. According to the affidavit, charges have not been framed yet. He has not been punished in any case.
What has the police done on the Harish Dhami incident?
Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Akshay Prahlad Conde has said that Jauljibi Kotwali police has registered a case against 6 named people including Congress MLA Harish Singh Dhami and others. In this case, action has been taken under sections 121(1), 132, 191(2), 324(3) and 352 of the Indian Judicial Code. Investigation has been started.
What is the maximum punishment?
If there is punishment under the sections under which cases have been registered against them, they may get into trouble. Under Section 121(1), the charge of causing hurt to a government employee can lead to imprisonment up to 5 years. Apart from this, if someone attacks a government employee or uses force, creates a riot or rebellion, or insults or abuses with the intention of disturbing the peace, then under Section 132, Section 191(2) and Section 352, he can be punished with imprisonment up to a maximum of 2 years, fine or both. On the other hand, if someone causes damage to government or public property and is proven guilty, then under Section 324(3), he can be punished with jail up to a maximum of 1 year, fine or both.
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What are the police saying?
Police allege that there was ruckus in Jauljibi fair, government work was disrupted and police personnel were manhandled. The Superintendent of Police said that Pithoragarh Police will investigate the matter impartially and further legal action will be taken based on the evidence.
Police say that after the program was over, fair committee president and Dharchula MLA Harish Singh Dhami along with his supporters Ram Singh Rokaya, Saurabh Martolia, Nrip Singh, Manohar Tolia, Vikram Danu and others raised slogans in inappropriate language.
It is alleged that during this period there was abuse and vandalism also took place. Police personnel present at the spot tried to pacify the people but they clashed with the police and others and created obstruction in government work.