Congress accuses BJP sheltering Chandola Lake self-styled don Lalla Bihari

The opposition Congress has alleged that Lalla Bihari, the kingpin of many illegal activities in Chandola Lake, was politically protected by the BJP, the ruling party. Congress claimed that since Lalla was working against the Congress, the BJP supported him for political gain, which enabled him to establish an entire empire around Chandola Lake.

No action despite a two-year-old complaint

Following a terrorist incident near Pahalgam, 180 Bangladeshis were detained from around Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad within hours, which, according to Congress, indicates that the police were fully aware of the situation. The Gujarat Congress stated that while it supports action against infiltrators, innocent families are being harassed in the name of identifying Bangladeshis, and bulldozers are being run over the homes of poor families.

The most critical question Congress raised was how infiltrators enter Gujarat under BJP rule. The BJP government must answer to the people of Gujarat. Congress pointed out that in 2021 and 2023, opposition leaders had made written requests to demolish Lalla’s illegal encroachments. 

“This clearly shows that the BJP shelters anti-social elements for political benefit. With BJP’s covert support, Lalla Bihari managed to seize control of the Chandola area,” alleged Congress leaders.

As the Chandola Lake issue remains in the spotlight, the State Election Commission has also taken note. The commission has asked for a report on the number of voters in the Chandola Lake area, sending booth-level officers to gather the data. 

Although there are currently no ongoing elections—neither Lok Sabha, Assembly, nor AMC—the involvement of the Election Commission in this matter has become a topic of public discussion. Questions are also being raised about how Bangladeshis obtained voter ID cards, putting government machinery under suspicion.