Only people’s votes can save democracy: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 16

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that it was the strength of the votes of the people of Himachal that could save democracy and defeat autocratic forces that were trying to destabilise a duly elected Congress government.

Sukhu, while addressing mediapersons here, said, “The people of Himachal have to decide whether they want to keep democracy alive or support turncoats, who have switched sides despite being elected on Congress ticket. The people of Himachal must teach a lesson not only to the BJP but also to those legislators, who went against their mandate. They must avenge themselves for such an undemocratic move of the BJP by ensuring the victory of the Congress on all four Lok Sabha and six Assembly seats.”

He said, “The people of Himachal have to decide whether they want a corruption-free government or representatives who can be bought and wooed by other parties, defying their mandate. Our government has set up a new recruitment board at Hamirpur to ensure that there is complete transparency and fair selections rather than paper leak as was the case during the BJP regime.”

He added, “The electorate of Himachal had given mandate to the Congress in the 2022 Assembly elections and we tried to come up to their expectations. The Congress had fulfilled its election guarantees of the restoration of the old pension scheme in the first Cabinet meeting itself, a Rs 1,500 monthly grant to women and a Rs 680 crore start-up scheme for the youth to make Himachal a green state.”

Sukhu said, “The women of Lahaul and Spiti are being given a Rs 1,500 monthly assistance and 2.37 lakh women, who were getting Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,100 social security pension, are also being given Rs 1,500 as monthly assistance, which will help them lead a respectable life. The government is also going to raise the marriageable age of girls from 18 years to 21 years.”

He lashed out at Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for approaching the Election Commission of India against filling of forms by women in the state for getting the Rs 1,500 per month assistance. “Despite the BJP’s best efforts, we will provide all eligible women Rs 1,500 as monthly assistance April onwards after the elections are over,” he added.

Sukhu said that the Congress government had generated Rs 2,200 crore revenue in its 15-month rule to make Himachal self-reliant. “The state witnessed the worst-ever natural disaster last year but the government provided help to people from its own resources. While people, including children, donated money liberally, the Central Government did not provide any special financial assistance to Himachal,” he added.

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