Sack Jairam Ramesh for threatening Uttarakhand: BJP

The Uttarakhand unit of BJP today demanded sacking of environment minister Jairam Ramesh for blaming the BJP government for illegal quarrying in the river Ganga.

State party chief Bishan Singh Chufal said, "Jairam Ramesh has tried to damage the federal structure of the country by threatening Uttarakhand to invoke Section 5 of Environment Protection Act.

"We urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove Ramesh," he told Reporters here.

Section 5 of the Act gives the Centre "power to direct the closure, prohibition or regulation of any industry".

Chufal said BJP has taken the threat very seriously and warned if any such attempt is made, the party would oppose it tooth and nail.

The BJP leader alleged that Congress-led UPA government at the Centre is creating hurdles in the development of the state.

"The state government had sent 204 projects and schemes to the Centre but their approval is still awaited," he said.

Incidentally, 34-year old Swami Nigamanand died on Monday after a four month-long hunger strike, protesting the mining mafia illegally quarrying in the river.