BJP spent Rs 6.93 cr on ‘Amrit Mahotsav’, didn’t invite freedom fighters’ kin: Himachal Pradesh CM

Shimla, September 23

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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said in the Vidhan Sabha that the previous BJP government had spent Rs 6.93 crore on ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ programmes but did not invite the families of freedom fighters to official functions.

Sukhu, replying to a question of Jwalamukhi MLA Sanjay Rattan, said the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ was a programme of the Centre, but money was spent from the state budget. “The programmes should have been dedicated to freedom fighters and martyrs. The importance of these programmes would have increased if the families of freedom fighters had also been invited. Such functions should not have been politicised,” he said. Rattan, who is from the family of freedom fighters, was also not invited to the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ function in his constituency, Sukhu added.

He said that the government should not stop such programmes but ensure that the families of our freedom fighters were invited.

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ programmes were organised across the country and Himachal also held functions and spent money but the Congress government was making it an issue.

Thakur said not inviting Rattan’s family could have been a mistake, which should be corrected, and asked whether the government would implement any scheme brought by the Central Government.

Thakur also urged the state government to restore the rescinded ‘Loktantra Prahari Samman Yojana’ that provided for a monthly pension of Rs 11,000 to persons, who were jailed during the emergency. The previous BJP government had started the yojana.

Rattan said the BJP celebrated ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ keeping in view the elections and misused public money. He said he was not invited to the programmes held in his constituency. He said, “It would have been appropriate had public money been spent on raising memorials to freedom fighters.” — PTI

Don’t politicise

The importance of these programmes would have increased if the families of freedom fighters had also been invited and honoured. Such functions should not have been politicised. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister