The Gujarat Congress has levelled serious allegations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of protecting Mehmood Khan Pathan alias Lalla Bihari, the alleged mastermind behind the illegal settlement of Bangladeshi immigrants around Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad.
This comes in the wake of a major demolition drive carried out by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), following a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
State Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that Lalla Bihari, now in police custody, had long-standing ties with the BJP and worked against the Congress during previous elections.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The accused arrested, Lalla Bihari, used to work for BJP for electoral gains. I ask the Chief Minister&mdash;how come Lalla Bihari made an empire? It did not happen overnight. It was made under your government,&rdquo; Gohil said.
Gohil further claimed that despite a named complaint filed in 2023 and a letter sent by a Congress leader in 2021 highlighting illegal encroachments by Bihari, no action was taken.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Those officials, under whom those illegal structures were made, should be held accountable. Their names should be out in public,&rdquo; he added.
Bihari and his son Fateh Khan were arrested by the city crime branch for their alleged involvement in a land encroachment racket that provided housing to undocumented Bangladeshi nationals.&nbsp;
Bihari, who had been absconding, was eventually tracked down in Rajasthan, while his son was arrested on the day AMC demolished over 4,000 illegal structures in the Chandola Lake area, also referred to by some as &lsquo;Mini Bangladesh.&rsquo;
According to police, Bihari arrived in Ahmedabad in 2010 and began occupying parts of Chandola Lake by illegally filling it with sand, later converting the land into rental plots and party venues.&nbsp;
He is accused of renting out shanties to illegal immigrants, facilitating electricity connections, and helping them obtain forged identity documents. Authorities reportedly recovered 43 fake rent agreements and seized cash and jewellery worth over Rs 44 lakh from properties linked to his relatives.
The crime branch suspects that electricity bills were used as proof of address to procure forged Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and even passports. Officials also believe a network of middlemen helped facilitate the cross-border movement of these immigrants.
Raising doubts about the timing of the demolition, Gohil questioned why the operation was launched just hours after the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, including three from Gujarat.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Why did this drive happen after the Pahalgam attack? Just a few hours after that, 180 Bangladeshis were suddenly identified and detained. How were they living for so long?&rdquo; he asked.&nbsp;
Gohil further criticised the intelligence apparatus, saying, &ldquo;What are the IB and RAW doing?&rdquo; He accused the Central government of a security lapse, adding that its failure to detect and prevent such illegal migration reflects poorly on its performance.
While stating that Congress supports the deportation of illegal immigrants, Gohil slammed what he termed &ldquo;bulldozer justice&rdquo; targeting the poor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You're destroying homes of innocent and poor people. If you go to their homes, you can see BR Ambedkar's photo, Allah's photo. These people were exploited and unaware of what was right or wrong,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Echoing Gohil&rsquo;s concerns, Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar said people from both Hindu and Muslim communities had lived in the Chandola area for over 50 years. He claimed that only 90 of those detained were Bangladeshi nationals, while the rest were Indian citizens with valid documents.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Most of those arrested were later released by police. The demolitions affected Indian citizens too, many of whom had Aadhaar cards and birth certificates,&rdquo; Parmar noted.&nbsp;
Parmar accused the BJP of using the crackdown for political gain. &ldquo;In the name of Bangladeshis, BJP is playing dirty politics for electoral gains,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Referring to the AMC&rsquo;s 2010 policy and past High Court directives during the Sabarmati riverfront redevelopment, he asserted, &ldquo;A survey must be conducted before taking action. Chandola Talav must be developed only after that.&rdquo;
He also criticised the lack of due process. &ldquo;The demolition was carried out without notice, in violation of Supreme Court guidelines. All electricity and water cuts should be lifted. These people must be given homes and basic necessities. If AMC doesn't act, we will approach the Supreme Court,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Ahmedabad City Congress President Himmatsinh Patel also raised questions about how such large numbers of illegal immigrants entered undetected. &ldquo;Who is aiding them to come all the way from Bangladesh to Ahmedabad? Who are the middlemen?&rdquo; he asked, demanding a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).&nbsp;
Patel criticised the government&rsquo;s priorities, stating, &ldquo;BJP will not remove poverty or unemployment, but will crush poor people with such actions.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, the AMC has confirmed that a second phase of demolition is being planned, with police protection requested. Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner GS Malik stated that additional forces would be deployed, and the State Intelligence Bureau was being kept informed.
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(Left) Shaktisinh Gohil and Harsh Sanghavi (Right)

Shaktisinh Gohil alleges Lalla Bihari grew under BJP rule, aided illegal immigrants near Chandola Lake

Lalla Bihari Shielded by BJP, Says Gujarat Congress

Shaktisinh Gohil alleges Lalla Bihari grew under BJP rule, aided illegal immigrants near Chandola Lake

May 5, 2025 | 17:42 IST