Jai Ram Thakur should end impasse: Ex-CM Virbhadra

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 4

Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today justified the Congress protest on the day of the Governor’s Address and said had he been the Chief Minister, he would have resolved the issue within an hour.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) boycotted the Vidhan Sabha and sat on a dharna outside the Assembly where they were joined by Virbhadra for the first time since the standoff on the opening day of the Budget session.

“In a democracy, such protests are justified. The Opposition is not wrong in expressing resentment as that is its role in a democracy,” he said. His presence had strengthened the protest held by the Congress MLAs who did not enter the Assembly while the Chief Minister was replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address.

“The Assembly is like a family where the presence of both ruling and Opposition is important, and the government must be tolerant and sensitive. That is the tradition of the Vidhan Sabha,” he said.

Asked if he would approach the CM to resolve the logjam, he said he was six-time CM and had presented 21 Budgets while Jai Ram Thakur was only one-time Chief Minister.

“Such harsh steps have never been taken by the government before the Assembly. Whatever had to happen has happened and now the CM must talk to them so that the Budget is presented by the House,” said Virbhadra. State Congress president Kuldeep Rathore also joined the protesting MLAs.

The Congress has been on a warpath with the government from day one of the Budget session on February 26 following the suspension of five MLAs till March 20. The five suspended Congress MLAs are CLP Leader Mukesh Agnihotri, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Vinay Kumar, Satpal Raizada and Sunder Thakur.

CM: Can’t respond to Virbhadra’s comments

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Thursday that he did not wish to comment on Virbhadra Singh’s comments, as he had a lot of respect for him, whether his own party respects him or not is a separate issue
• He had witnessed the time when during the Virbhadra government, BJP MLAs were thrown out of the well of the House and bundled in buses and left in a jungle

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.