Shimla: The Opposition BJP staged a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha at Chaura Maidan in Shimla on Thursday, accusing the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government of rampant corruption and shielding organized mafias. Thousands of party workers from across the state gathered to voice their grievances against the Sukhu administration.
Senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, State In-charge Shrikant Sharma, Co-In-charge Sanjay Tandon, and MLAs, addressed the rally, alleging that the state has been gripped by an unchecked rise in illegal activities. The party accused the government of protecting the mining mafia, drug syndicates, and other criminal networks, leading to a breakdown of law and order.
Speaking at the protest, Dr. Rajiv Bindal said that in just two years and four months, the Congress government has pushed Himachal Pradesh into a deep financial crisis. “The state’s debt has risen by ₹32,000 crore, taking the total burden to ₹1,03,000 crore. Development has come to a halt, employment opportunities have vanished, and inflation is at an all-time high,” he said. Bindal further alleged that the state is now under the grip of the chitta (drug) mafia, liquor mafia, scrap mafia, mining mafia, and forest mafia, all of whom operate with political protection.
BJP leader Sanjay Tandon also launched a scathing attack, stating that lawlessness has reached an alarming level, with increasing incidents of gang wars, drug abuse, and attacks on women. “Sisters and daughters are unsafe, bullets are being fired in broad daylight, and the youth of Himachal are falling victim to drug addiction. The Congress government has completely failed to maintain law and order,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, addressing the rally, accused the Sukhu administration of institutionalizing corruption. “Illegal mining is rampant, mountains are being destroyed, and even major roads and bridges are at risk due to unchecked excavation. Despite repeated complaints from locals, no action is taken against the mining mafia. In Baddi, a three-kilometer-long illegal road was built to facilitate mining operations, yet the authorities turned a blind eye,” he alleged.
Jairam Thakur also raised concerns over alleged corruption within the government, citing instances where people arrested by central agencies for illegal mining were found visiting the Chief Minister’s office in official vehicles. “The government’s priorities are clear – protect the mafia, silence the opposition, and run a corrupt system where transfers and recruitment are controlled by political leaders and middlemen,” he said.
BJP Walks Out of Assembly
Before joining the protest, BJP leaders staged a walkout from the Vidhan Sabha after Jairam Thakur accused the administration of blocking BJP workers from reaching the protest site. “People are being stopped eight kilometers away, and water cannons have been called from Haryana. Is this how a democratic government functions?” he asked.
Responding to BJP’s allegations, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dismissed the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. He denied any restrictions on protesters and said, “Democracy thrives when the opposition has the right to speak. But their buses are arriving empty—what can the government do about it? This is an internal issue within the BJP.”
Sukhu also questioned the BJP’s sudden outrage over mafia activities, stating that illegal mining and drug-related crimes were not new issues but had existed during BJP’s tenure as well. “If they are so concerned about corruption and mafias, they should first explain why such elements flourished under their government,” he remarked.
