Uttarakhand: Allegations of South Africa’s Gupta Brothers’ Bid to ‘Topple’ Dhami Govt Creates Stir

Dehradun: Allegations levelled by an independent Uttarakhand legislator on the floor of the House during the recently concluded Assembly session at Gairsain in Chamoli district, regarding an alleged conspiracy to “topple” the Pushkar Sing Dhami government has creates a flutter in the hill state.

The legislator alleged that the Gupta brothers, businessmen in South Africa, were spending Rs.500 crore to topple the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Chief Minister Dhami. Interestingly, one of the Gupta brothers along with his brother-in law are lodged in Dehradun jail in connection with an abetment to murder case of their business partner.

In a surprise revelation, Umesh. J. Kumar, an Independent legislator from Khanpur in Haridwar district, who himself has a controversial past, alleged on the floor of the House on August 22, 2024 that an attempt was being made to topple the state BJP government by Gupta brothers, who were willing to spent Rs.500 crore for ‘Operation Topple’. He asked the state government and the Chief Minister to probe the matter. Chief Minister Dhami, when asked, said that the matter would be probed.

The allegations have created a storm, particularly within the ruling BJP, since the legislator, Umesh Kumar, a journalist-turned-politician, is considered close to Dhami and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

Although, the allegations have led the Opposition Congress to demand a probe into the matter, several leaders within the ruling BJP are said to be fuming. While the Congress legislators failed to capitalise on the allegations in the House to corner the ruling party, Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni sought a through probe into the charges.  

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, reacting strongly at press conference a few days ago, dared Kumar to come out with concrete evidence to back his allegations. He also asked the Dhami government to probe the issue in a time-bound manner.

Nishank said constitutional institutions, such as the Assembly, should not be used as a platform for making unfounded and wild allegations, and the dignity of such bodies should be maintained. He also requested the Speaker to give her ruling on the propriety of raising such allegations on the floor of the House.

Another former Chief Minister and Haridwar Lok Sabha MP, Trivendra Rawat, expressing concern at the allegations, said the allegations raise a question mark over 70 legislators of the state. "The Speaker should have asked the legislator making these charges to give evidence and ordered an inquiry. Why are the legislators silent?" he asked at a press conference held at Mussoorie on Thursday.

Senior BJP leader Ravinder Jugran also raise doubts over the credentials of Kumar, saying that the allegations were “irresponsible and laughable” since the person levelling the charges was himself known as a ‘stingmaster’. He also indicated that the wild charges of toppling the majority BJP state government point toward involvement of some ruling BJP legislators. 

Raghunath Singh Negi, former vice-chairman of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and chief of Jan Sanghrash Morcha, also sought a thorough probe into the allegations and asked that how the tainted Gupta brothers, who are in jail since the past two months, could plan the alleged conspiracy.

Interestingly, the allegations seem more to do with internal Uttarakhand BJP politics than anything else. Of late, there has been talk of realignment of forces in the state ruling party after the election of former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Anil Baluni, national media in-charge of BJP as Lok Sabha members from Haridwar and Pauri Garhwal, respectively. There were rumours of lobbying against the Chief Minister, as after some state BJP leaders, including ministers, made a beeline to meet Central ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Moreover, the fact that both Nishank and Rawat, while being Chief Ministers, had a running feud with Kumar during their respective tenures.  Nishank even had him externed from the state. Similarly, Kumar has done a sting operation on former Congress Chief Minister Harish Rawat during the political upheaval of 2016, following the switchover of 10 Congress legislators, with view to toppling his government.

However, the allegations made by the independent legislator, if found true, could raises questions over the conduct of those BJP legislators who were willing to participate in the alleged toppling conspiracy by the Gupta brothers.

Interestingly, the Gupta brothers are supposed to be close to BJP leaders and got facilities, including security during the Trivendra Singh Rawat regime. Earlier, even the Harish Rawat Congress government had sanctioned them security in 2016.

On the other side, Kumar on his social media, has claimed that he has all the proofs of the charges that he has levelled and would divulge them before probe agencies.

The buzz that the issue must have been raised with the knowledge of the Chief Minister Dhami, has caused much embarrassment to the ruling BJP and widened the fissures within.      

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.