Vikramaditya Singh: Rohtang tunnel Congress’s contribution to Lahaul valley

Kullu, May 17

Vikramaditya Singh, Congress candidate for the Mandi parliamentary constituency, today said that the strategically important Rohtang tunnel was a big contribution of the Congress to the Lahaul valley and the country.

Vikramaditya, while addressing an election rally at Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti district, said, “The then chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Sonia Gandhi, had laid its foundation stone on June 28, 2010, and the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, had provided the budget for its construction. Its 75 per cent work was accomplished by 2014. The BJP has no contribution in this except that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it.”

He said that former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had affection for tribal areas and the Congress had made a huge contribution to the development of tribal areas. He said, “The Congress government had restored ‘Nau Tod’ and passed the Forest Rights Act for tribal areas and it lies pending with the Governor for approval.”

He alleged that the BJP had nominated a candidate from Mandi who neither had any knowledge of religion nor of culture of the state. She lacked any vision for the development of the area and was seeking votes only in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The way she had used an abusive language for the Dalai Lama, the people of the state, especially the followers of Buddhism, will never forgive her,” he said.