Assembly session today witnessed stormy scenes as members of the house kept blaming each other. In the middle of noise of thumping desks, BJP legislature Jai Ram Thakur’s complaint over activities of the Congress supporters inside Vidhan Sabha with flags and placards depicting party symbols, which sparked heated debates. The house was restored for further proceedings only on the intervention of the speaker.
However, at the same time Congress MLAs initiated the blame game and while discussing the governor’s address, Kinnaur legislator Jagat Ram Negi blames previous BJP govt for misusing government machinery during their tenure. Negi alleged that he himself was a victim of BJP’s conspiracy and have been implicated in a legal wrangle over my raising black flags during former chief minister’s visit to Kinnaur. He alleged that his only fault was opposing the distribution of antennae worth Rs 6-cr given by the Centre and demanding rights for my people under the Forest Right Act, 2006.
He further alleged that the state was ruled by land mafia during the BJP regime. He said the government left the coffers empty and the state was on the brink of bankruptcy with huge debt liability of Rs 26,000 crore on the state and spent most of time in the fabricating false cases against its political opponents. He also raised doubts over the awards won by the state during the BJP rule; and stated that it was like “match fixing” as people did not vote for the ruling party despite its tall claims. Negi demanded that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) proposed by the government to probe all charges of corruption against the previous BJP government should be set up immediately.
Newly elected legislature from Jawalamukhi Sanjay Rattan also blames previous BJP Govt of nepotism and regionalism. Sanjay Rattan alleged that the BJP government had commercialised education and demanded an enquiry into it. Other Congress members also raised the issue of scrapping of the administrative tribunal by the BJP government.
Lone member of newly floated political outfit Himachal Lokhit Party Maheshwar Singh also claimed wrong doing in the tenure of previous Govt and appealed the government to order the setting up of a SIT to look into all complaints of corruption and land violations.
Replying to it, leader of the opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal refuted the charges levelled by Congress legislatures and claimed that BJP led government did not indulge in political victimisation and hadn’t filled or initiated false cases against opposition leaders. He claimed that Virbhadra Singh himself initiated inquiry into CD case and advised Congress to look into the case from its inception. Over the allegation regarding mounting debt, Dhumal said that in 2007 when he came to power, the state was under huge debt of Rs 22,000 crore and in spite of granting financial benefits to the tune of Rs 8,500 crore to the employees, the total debt liability rose only by Rs 4,000 crore.
Dhumal also criticised Govt decision for replacing the name of national leaders and warned them and stated that it will start new trend for the coming govt.
Prem Kumar Dhumal also hail the decision of the Virbhadra government to adopt Congress manifesto as a policy document and asked the government to fulfil the promises including unemployment allowance to youths, as early as possible.
Dhumal said the BJP has accepted the verdict of the people and asked Congress led Govt to take up the matter of extension of industrial package to the state and ensure that ITBP troops are not withdrawn from Chamba border.
