Relief rally turns political, CM slams BJP for skipping crucial event

A day meant for compassion and relief turned political in Mandi as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and BJP MLAs from Mandi for skipping a crucial event where financial assistance of Rs 81.28 crore was distributed to 4,914 disaster-affected families. Of the total 10 Assembly seats, nine seats are won by the BJP in Mandi district. Of the nine BJP MLAs, only one BJP MLA from Mandi Sadar, Anil Sharma, attended the event.

Addressing the gathering at Paddal Ground, Sukhu accused the BJP of “politicising relief efforts” and showing insensitivity toward the suffering of common people.

“It would have been better if all BJP MLAs from Mandi district had attended this event despite being invited. The BJP leaders are insensitive to the pain of the people. Their only agenda is to do politics and spread lies,” Sukhu said.

The Chief Minister hit out at the Union Government for its failure to release any financial aid to the state even two months after the Prime Minister’s announcement. “I am ready to go to Delhi under the leadership of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. I have no ego; my only goal is to help the disaster victims,” he said, urging the Centre once again to allow rehabilitation of affected families on forest land.

Highlighting the contrast between his government’s action and the BJP’s alleged apathy, CM Sukhu said: “Building a house takes a lifetime. How can Rs 1.30 lakh be enough as compensation? The Union Government provides only this much, but we increased it to Rs 7 lakh for fully damaged houses and Rs 1 lakh for partially damaged ones.” He added that despite limited resources, his government was doing everything possible to help affected families rebuild their lives.

Taking a dig at the previous BJP regime, CM Sukhu accused it of misusing public funds and benefitting contractors. “The BJP government built buildings worth Rs 1,000 crore just to favour a few. They even allotted 5,000 bighas of land in Baddi-Nalagarh to industrialists for only Rs 14 lakh, land worth Rs 5,000 crore, but not a single industry came up there,” he alleged.

Reiterating his commitment to the people, Sukhu said his government restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to secure employees’ futures, reformed the education system to bring the state from 21st to 5th rank and began robotic surgeries in Tanda and Chamiyana. “Atmanirbhar Himachal is not a slogan, it’s our mission,” he declared.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani also backed the CM, accusing the Centre of discriminating against Himachal and neglecting the state’s pleas for disaster aid.

Targeting the former CM Jai Ram Thakur, Negi demanded that the Leader of the Opposition should issue a white paper regarding funds he received from public during the disaster that how much money he received and where he spent. Negi alleged that Jairam Thakur helped only affected people related to his party.