BJP targets Himachal government over 'three years of misrule' at Dharamsala rally

As the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh nears completion of its three-year tenure on December 11, the BJP on Thursday mounted a sharp attack on the Sukhu-led regime, accusing it of “misrule, corruption and anti-people policies”.

These remarks were made at a massive protest rally organised by the party in Dharamsala, which saw participation of thousands of supporters and common people.

The Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was greeted with loud chants of ‘Hamara neta kaisa ho, Jai Ram Thakur jaisa ho’.

Thakur said even in the Vidhan Sabha, BJP leaders often greet each other with ‘Radhe Radhe’, in a pointed reference to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s earlier remark about bringing Congress to power in a ‘97 per cent Hindu-dominated state’.

Attacking the government’s performance, Thakur alleged that every section of society was now protesting against the ruling Congress. “We have raised the slogan—vyavastha patan ke 3 saal, badlo badlo bhrasht Congress sarkaar,” he said. He claimed that the state had witnessed unprecedented natural disasters since the Congress came to power, adding that “this is what the Sukhu government has brought with it”.

The former CM alleged that funds for social welfare schemes like the Shagun Yojana and Himcare had been stopped. Questioning the utilisation of Central aid, he demanded details of how the state spent the Rs 5,500 crore already received under disaster relief funds, even as he referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent announcement of an additional Rs 1,500 crore and assured that these funds will be released soon.

Thakur also raised issues such as delays in sanctioning funds for the Central University’s Dharamsala campus, alleged attempts to sell properties of the Agriculture University, and amendments to Section 118 of the Revenue Act, which he termed as ‘Himachal on sale’. He criticised the cane-charge on ABVP activists, saying people across the state were now “ready to uproot the Congress government”.

Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur also targeted the government, accusing the Chief Minister of acting “against the interests of the Hindu community”, which comprises 97 per cent of Himachal’s population.

Urging the crowd to chant ‘Radhe Radhe, Jai Jai Sia Ram’, he slammed the state government over deteriorating law and order conditions and the deepening financial crisis.

He said the Congress had failed to fulfil its poll guarantees and asserted that the party must be removed from power “to save Himachal Pradesh and restore its development trajectory”.