Uproar over online stone laying by PM

Shimla, February 6

The Congress today said the BJP was lowering the prestige of the office of the Prime Minister by getting online foundation of a college in Chamba done by Narendra Modi.

The issue resulted in acrimonious exchanges between Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj and Opposition leader Mukesh Agnihotri with the Speaker having to intervene to pacify the two. It was Bhardwaj who made a statement on the issue as it had been raised by Agnihotri earlier. Both Congress and BJP hurled accusations at each other over online inaugurations and laying of foundation stones. Finally, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur intervened and said that as both BJP and Congress governments had done online inaugurations and laying of foundations stones it should not be made a big issue.

“The Congress in unnecessary trying to read too much into it as the Prime Minister laid digital foundations stone of 150 such model colleges across the country and not just for the one in Chamba district,” he said. He said moreover, during the Congress regime former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh used to lay foundations stones and inauguration stones from Shimla. — TNS