Dhami performs puja at Har ki Pauri on completing four years in office as chief minister

Haridwar, Jul 4 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday performed a puja at Har Ki Pauri on the banks of the Ganga to mark the completion of four years in office, praying for the prosperity of the state.

Former Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Rajya Sabha MP Kalpana Saini, and MLAs Madan Kaushik and Aadesh Chauhan accompanied him as Dhami performed the rituals under the supervision of Acharya Amit Shastri.

"Rivers are not just a source of water. They have been the pillars of social, economic, and religious progress since ancient times. Conservation of rivers is also important to combat the effects of global warming," the Chief Minister said later at a programme titled "Nadi Utsav" (River Festival) held at Har Ki Pauri Ghat.

He appealed to people to respect rivers like their mothers to maintain their cleanliness and purity. He also administered an oath to attendees, who pledged never to pollute rivers in the future.

Dhami also addressed a BJP rally at Rishikul Ground to mark the occasion and highlighted the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the crackdown on land encroachment, and action against the paper leak mafia as the major achievements of his government over the past four years.

He stated that alongside the overall development of the state, his government remains committed to preserving its cultural values and demographic balance.

"While we have implemented anti-conversion and strict anti-riot laws in the state, we have also taken strong action against the jihadi mindset. Effective steps have been taken against land jihad, love jihad, and spit jihad," he said.

A uniform law for all citizens has been introduced through the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state, he added.

At the same time, a strict anti-cheating law has been enforced to curb those who play with the future of the youth, he said.

Since the introduction of the anti-cheating law for recruitment examinations, 24,000 meritorious and deserving candidates have secured government jobs in the state through a fair and transparent process, he noted.

Dhami was sworn in as chief minister for the first time on July 3, 2021, replacing Tirath Singh Rawat.

He was sworn in again as chief minister in March 2022 after the state assembly polls. PTI COR ALM HIG