Himachal Police Conducts Raid on Stone Crusher Linked to BJP MLA's Uncle

In a significant development, the Himachal Pradesh Police, along with officials from the Mining Department and Pollution Control Board, raided a stone crusher owned by Praveen Sharma, the uncle of BJP MLA Ashish Sharma. The operation, which took place in Hamirpur district, resulted in the seizure of allegedly illegally mined materials and heavy machinery. Praveen Sharma condemned the raid, claiming it was conducted without a warrant and that the materials were previously documented. This incident has heightened political tensions in the area, especially with Chief Minister Sukhu accusing Ashish Sharma of involvement in a plot to destabilize the Congress government ahead of the upcoming elections.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 13, 2025, 13:49 IST

Police Action in Hamirpur District

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KANGRA: Authorities from the Himachal Pradesh Police, along with representatives from the Mining Department and Pollution Control Board, executed a raid on a stone crusher owned by Praveen Sharma, the uncle of BJP MLA Ashish Sharma.

The operation occurred at Pung Khad in the Hamirpur district, resulting in the confiscation of what is believed to be illegally mined stone, gravel, and several heavy machinery units.

Praveen Sharma criticized the raid, claiming that officials entered without a warrant, intimidated employees, and removed the CCTV hard drive. He stated, “They are labeling existing stock as illegal. The crusher had been inactive for a while, and all materials were previously documented and reported to the relevant department.”

Sharma reported that among the seized items were one Poclain excavator, four dumpers, one concrete mixer, and two JCB machines. He asserted that some of the confiscated equipment, including a JCB with flat tires and two tippers, were not operational.

Hamirpur SP Bhagat Singh Thakur confirmed the seizure, noting that while some workers initially fled during the raid, they later assisted with the investigation. “The confiscated materials are currently in police custody. The investigation will be fair, and all parties will be heard,” he stated.

This raid has intensified political tensions in Hamirpur, the home district of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Chief Minister Sukhu has accused Ashish Sharma of participating in “Operation Lotus,” an alleged plan to destabilize the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the 2024 elections.

On February 27, 2024, six Congress dissident MLAs — Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), ID Lakhanpal (Barsar), Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul-Spiti), Chaitanya Sharma (Gagret), and Devender Bhutto (Kutlehar) — voted for Harsh Mahajan, the unexpected BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha election. Additionally, three Independent MLAs — Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshyar Singh (Dehra), and KL Thakur (Nalagarh) — also supported the BJP, leading to a significant upset for the ruling Congress. Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi was defeated.

Ashish Sharma later secured the Hamirpur seat again in the by-election on a BJP ticket.