Kulbir Singh accuses BJP of corruption and displacing small vendors; warns that Congress will move court if construction continues
Published on: August 26, 2025
By: [BTNI]
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
City Congress President Kulbir Singh Chhabra has strongly opposed the construction of a badminton court under National Highway-53 flyover, calling it unconstitutional and unsafe. Addressing a press conference, he said that sports facilities must be provided in proper stadiums, not in “danger zones” filled with pollution and accident risks.
Chhabra accused the BJP of pressuring the administration to remove small vendors and hawkers, who had been earning their livelihood under the flyover for years. “The municipal corporation collected rent from these vendors. If it was collecting rent, how could it be called encroachment?” – he questioned.
“Stadium Turned Into Hub of Corruption”
The Congress leader further alleged massive corruption in the construction of Digvijay Stadium, which is considered a nursery for sportspersons. He said that despite being incomplete, the stadium was inaugurated in 2018 by then Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh, and later, part of it was handed over to a bank for commercial purposes.
Chaos Under the Flyover
Chhabra said that the area under the flyover was earlier used for vehicle parking, but the proposed badminton court will now disrupt traffic. He added that the construction is illegal since it has been undertaken without land acquisition or approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), leading to wastage of public money.
Also read- https://www.btnewsindia.com/youth-dies-in-rajnandgaon-due-to-municipal-negligence/ https://www.btnewsindia.com/nhm-employees-strike-continues-in-rajnandgaon/
Congress Demands
During the press meet, Chhabra put forward three demands:
- Immediate halt to the construction under the flyover.
- Sports facilities for players must only be developed within the stadium premises.
- Evicted small vendors should be rehabilitated.
He warned that if construction continues, Congress will approach the court.
The press conference was attended by several Congress leaders and workers, including Kamaljeet Singh Pintu, Sharda Tiwari, Vikas Tripathi, and Mohammad Yahya.