Opposition targets govt on disaster relief, Section 118 amendment

Before the start of proceedings on the seventh day of the winter session, BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur held a demonstration on the Assembly premises, accusing the Congress government of misplaced priorities and governance failures.

Carrying placards reading “Jashan manana band karo, rahat ka prabandh karo” and “118 ka khel hai, Himachal for sale hai”, the legislators raised slogans denouncing the administration’s decision to celebrate its three years in office while disaster-hit districts continue to grapple with the aftermath of recent calamities.

Thakur alleged that several “irresponsible decisions” taken during the government’s tenure had caused significant losses to the state. Questioning the prolonged delay in establishing the Central University’s Dharamsala campus, he demanded clarity on the status of the Rs 30 crore that was to be deposited for the project.

He further accused the government of attempting to “sell Himachal” through the proposed amendment to Section 118 of the Revenue Act and criticised the move to “sell Agricultural University land under the guise of developing a tourist village.” He added that none of the government’s pre-election guarantees had been fulfilled.

Soon after the Question Hour concluded, the BJP staged a walkout, sharply criticising Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu over Wednesday’s lathicharge on ABVP members. Thakur claimed the student outfit had valid permission to march from the taxi stand to Zorawar Stadium but was stopped by the police, who allegedly used force, injuring several students. He demanded action against the officials responsible for the crackdown.