Congress president takes cudgel for BJP MLA who complained life threat from his chief minister

The Congress party on Friday took cudgels for BJP legislator and former minister Arvind Pandey, who has lodged a complaint with the party’s Central leadership against Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dham of threat to his life, which has gone viral in social media.

Demanding a judicial probe into the matter, the Congress party called it a serious matter for even ruling party legislators as they too are unsafe in the state.

Advertisement

Uttarakhand PCC president Ganesh Godiyal termed the allegations made by Pandey in his complaint to the senior-most functionary in the Central government serious as it has gone viral in social media. Godiyal alleged that the BJP MLA’s complaint indicated that even ruling party legislators were not safe in the incumbent BJP dispensation. Reading out the contents of a copy of Pandey’s alleged complaint letter with hidden addressee, PCC president criticised the Dhami government for allegedly operating under mafia influence leading to poor law-and-order situation in the state.

Citing the letter in circulation on social media, Godiyal said the accusations against Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are serious. The state Congress president said, “The letter written by the BJP legislator claims that for the past four years, conspiracies were hatched against the ruling party MLA. He and his family members were framed in false cases. The BJP MLA has mentioned in his letter, addressee of which can be easily understood by all, that he was feeling distressed by persistent conspiracies hatched against him by the chief minister.”

Godiyal shared a copy of the letter in which the complainant MLA said to the addressee, “Prior to atrocities unleashed on me by the present chief minister of Uttarakhand I had already informed you through an email on January 12, 2026 that my son was threatened of finishing his social and political life by the SSP, asking him to compromise with the chief minister. After this, me and my family are consistently facing political, social and financial exploitations as part of a well-planned conspiracy by the chief minister.”

The letter further read, “I was booked under fake cases. False cases of land grabbing were slapped on my family members and relatives including my 68-year-old brother-in-law who cannot even move properly, and my sister who is battling fourth stage of cancer. My uncle and his sons were also dragged into a conspiracy to book under false charges.”

The Congress president demanded that the Dhami government must set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the entire matter.

Godiyal also pointed out that Pandey’s complaint mentioned alleged ties of the chief minister with controversial figures Sukhdev Singh Namdari who was jailed for eight years for gunning down former liquor baron Ponty Chadda. Pandey, in his letter said, “The chief minister appointed the son of notorious criminal Sukhdev Singh Namdhari as minister of state in the Uttarakhand government. His association with a dreaded criminal like Namdhari has made me realise that he can have me, my son, and other family members killed.”

Pandey ended his letter pleading to the addressee, “I am in distress and need your protection. Please show me the way.”

The Congress leader demanded an impartial probe to restore public trust. “The entire episode must be investigated by an SIT monitored by a retired judicial officer. When a ruling party’s own MLAs has to plead for protection, it reflects the gravity of the situation,” said Godiyal.