Congress Accuses BJP of Shielding Chandola Lake Accused Lalla Bihari, Questions Demolition Timing and EC’s Role

In a scathing press briefing in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shaktisinh Gohil criticized the BJP-led government, questioning the political motives behind the recent demolition drive at Chandola Lake targeting alleged illegal Bangladeshi residents.

Gohil raised concerns over the timing of the operation, which came shortly after the terror attack in Pahalgam. “If over 180 Bangladeshis were detained within hours of the incident, why wasn’t action taken earlier? Were they protected for political purposes?” he asked.

Allegations Linking BJP to Chandola Accused

Without directly naming him, Gohil alleged that Mahmud Pathan, also known as Lalla Bihari the main accused in the Chandola case was protected because of his ties to the BJP. He claimed that Bihari operated as a BJP affiliate who worked to cut into Congress’ vote share by supporting third-party candidates. Gohil asserted that this political leverage allowed him to build an unchecked illegal network in the Chandola region. He also pointed out that Congress leader Shehzadkhan Pathan had submitted written complaints in 2021 and 2023, but no action was taken.

Concerns Over Election Commission’s Involvement

Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar raised doubts about the Election Commission’s neutrality, citing circulars issued after the demolition that reportedly involve reassessing voter demographics in the affected area. “Is the Election Commission now being used to monitor shifts in voter bases following the demolitions?” he questioned.

Questions for National Agencies

Gohil also challenged the role of national intelligence agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), questioning how illegal immigrants could cross several BJP-ruled states and settle in Ahmedabad without detection. Calling the demolition drive an assault on the poor and a governance failure, he demanded immediate resettlement, restoration of basic amenities, and legal support for affected families, pledging to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary.

In response to BJP’s accusation that Congress corporators had issued documents to illegal residents, Gohil countered by saying that such certificates are not valid for generating legal identification documents.