Yashwant Sinha stages sit-in against anti-encroachment drive

Ranchi, April 18: Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Sunday, April 17 staged a sit-in demanding a policy be drafted to rehabilitate the families who were displaced in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Ranchi.

"Let me clarify that I don't have any differences of opinion with the state government. But to deal with the issue of the encroachment there should be a strategy to rehabilitate the displaced families and the state can approach the high court to fine a way," Sinha told newsmen here.

The former union minister quipped even monkeys straying into areas in Delhi were rehabilitated into forests.

"And here the issue is of human beings...bulldozer has no place in a democracy," he said, referring to the demolition of several houses in Ranchi as part of the administration's anti-encroachment drive taken up on the orders of the high court.

Earlier this month, the police had to open fire at Islam Nagar during a clash with locals resulting in the death of two persons.

Several parties cutting across political lines have opposed the demolition drive without a proper rehabilitation package.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Friday said bringing in an ordinance was among other ideas to find a solution to the issue.

PTI