Raipur, July 15 (PTI) Chhattisgarh assembly witnessed uproar on Tuesday as Congress demanded a discussion on "rampant" sand mining and gang wars associated with the illegal activity and staged a walkout after the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion notice.
The issue was raised in Zero Hour by the opposition leader Charan Das Mahant, former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, and other MLAs of Congress.
They claimed illegal sand mining mushroomed in several areas under the protection of the police and mining officials, and sought a discussion by moving an adjournment motion notice.
"No river in the state is free from illegal excavation of sand," they said.
According to Congress MLAs, the situation deteriorated over the last 18 months and sand mafias from outside Chhattisgarh are involved in gang wars, firing, stabbing, and other violent acts.
In Balrampur district, a police constable was crushed to death by sand mafias from outside the state. In another incident, several officials of the Forest Development Corporation were badly beaten up by gangs involved in illegal sand mining. Sand mafias fired bullets at villagers in Rajnandgaon when they were intercepted, Congress leaders said.
Responding to Congress's demand for a discussion on the adjournment motion notice, Speaker Raman Singh said some MLAs of the party have already given notices for call attention motions on this issue.
Irked by the Speaker's decision to disallow the adjournment motion notice, Congress members staged a walkout while accusing the government of shielding illegal sand mining.