Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami . (IPhoto: PTI)

By News Desk

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday hailed his administration’s “bulldozer” action against religious encroachment, calling it “land jihad” and further promising the “strictest action” against those “polluting the holy land” of Uttarakhand.

Dhami publicly defended the government’s use of “bulldozer tactics” as a form of punishment, specifically targeting alleged cases of religious encroachment in Uttarakhand.

Sharing a video on his X,  he said this strong action is necessary because “Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is considered a sacred centre of faith for millions of Sanatanis”. 

“Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is the centre of faith, belief and devotion of crores of Sanatanis. Strictest action will be taken against those who pollute the sacred land here through encroachment and land jihad,” Dhami said in Hindi on X.

Watch the video here:

देवभूमि उत्तराखंड करोड़ों सनातनियों की आस्था, विश्वास और भक्ति का केंद्र है, यहाँ की पवित्र भूमि को अतिक्रमण और लैंड जिहाद के माध्यम से दूषित करने वालों के विरुद्ध कठोरतम कार्रवाई की जायेगी। pic.twitter.com/iP8c8wWgoK— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 26, 2025

He said this kind of action was necessary against religious encroachment and crucial in protecting the spiritual integrity of the state. He stressed that the government maintains a policy of intolerance toward those who seek to violate the sanctity of the region, justifying demolition tactics as a crackdown required to preserve the religious landscape of Uttarakhand.

The chief minister has repeatedly called out alleged attempts at altering the demographic or religious composition of the state through illicit land acquisition, which he has categorised broadly as “land jihad”. He has reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to anti-encroachment efforts even if the approach is controversial.

This story was originally published in news18.com. Read the full story here.