Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi on Sunday alleged the state government of providing political patronage to a rampant illegal sand mining trade operating in open defiance of the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) monsoon ban.In a public statement, Marandi questioned why law enforcement remained a silent spectator to fleets of sand-smuggling trucks plying the roads of Ranchi and neighbouring districts without number plates or valid transit challans.Drawing a sharp contrast in governance, the opposition leader pointed out the stark asymmetry in law enforcement, asking why ordinary citizens were swiftly tracked and penalised via high-tech traffic cameras for minor bike or car violations while massive commercial vehicles involved in environmental crimes enjoyed complete immunity.He warned that this unregulated plunder was causing long-term ecological devastation, disrupting river flows, depleting groundwater levels, and accelerating riverbank erosion, while inflicting massive revenue losses on the state treasury. Marandi demanded immediate intervention from the CM to halt the illegal transport network.Responding sharply to the allegations, Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti dismissed Marandi’s claims as mere political posturing and urged him to verify ground realities before inciting a public outcry.“Several sand banks across the state have been legally auctioned, meaning current transportations are simply moving legally permitted stock. Furthermore, a significant portion of the sand entering Jharkhand is being imported legally from Bihar with valid transit challans,” Shanti clarified defending the administration.Shanti challenged the opposition leader to deploy his own representatives to the state borders to inspect the transport documentation firsthand rather than relying on unverified claims to score political points.