Karan Singh administered oath

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 27

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Banjar legislator Karan Singh at Raj Bhawan here today. The Opposition BJP decided to stay away from the function.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Vidhan Sabha Speaker BBL Butail, his ministerial colleagues, MLAs, state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh and officers were present at the oath ceremony. Chief Secretary P Mitra conducted the proceedings.

Maheshwar Singh, Himachal Lokhit MLA and elder brother of Karan Singh was conspicuous by his absence. He later said he was very happy that somebody from the family had been inducted into the Cabinet. He could not attend the swearing-in as he was busy elsewhere.

The entire BJP legislature party, including Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal, chose to give the function a miss.

The Chief Minister, when asked about BJP skipping the oath ceremony, said the Opposition had a very negative mindset. “It is the Raj Bhawan which sends the invite for the oath. I am not bothered what the BJP thinks as they are jealous and negative,” he remarked.

He said the appointment of parliamentary secretaries and chairmen and vice chairmen of boards and corporations could be made as per the need. “I don’t care what they think and they too had made these appointments during their tenure,” Virbhadra remarked when pointed out that the BJP has said that this would cause financial burden on the government exchequer.

Karan, who has remained Minister of State for Education in the previous BJP regime headed by Dhumal, has been given charge of Cooperative and Ayurveda Department. A large number of people from Banjar as well as Kullu district, attired in their traditional dress and playing the local musical instruments, attended the oath ceremony. They continued the celebrations outside Karan’s house in the Vidhan Sabha complex throughout the day.