BJP demands immediate rollback, calls lottery a ‘curse’ on people and families; Congress Also Banned It Once, Now Bringing It Back
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal has come out strongly against the Himachal Pradesh Congress government’s decision to reintroduce the lottery system in the state, calling it a “regressive and destructive step” that could once again push thousands of families into financial ruin.
Terming the move as the “worst outcome” of the recent Cabinet meeting, Dhumal said, “This is not governance, this is exploitation of public hardship for revenue.”
Dhumal recalled that when he became Chief Minister in 1998, the BJP government had unanimously decided to shut down the entire lottery system in 1999. “It was not just a policy change, but a necessary decision to protect the social fabric of Himachal Pradesh. Back then, salaries of employees, pension savings of retirees, daily wages of labourers, and savings of unemployed youth were vanishing in the lure of lotteries,” he said.
‘Lottery Wrecked Families Then, Will Do So Again’
Drawing from the past, Dhumal said, “At that time, people had lost their entire monthly incomes and even retirement funds to single-digit lotteries. Families were devastated. That’s why the system was banned—so that people wouldn’t become dependent on a false hope.”
He added that even the Himachal Pradesh High Court had banned the sale of single-digit lotteries in 1996, highlighting the depth of the issue.
Prof. Dhumal questioned the Congress party’s double standards, stating that the same party had once recognised the problem. “In 2004, the Congress restarted lotteries but had to impose a complete ban again under the then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who understood that this was a social curse. Back then, the revenue generated was hardly Rs 4 to 5 crore—a small sum compared to the damage it did.”
Dhumal believes that the revival of the lottery system in the state will adversely impact the employees and youth of Himachal Pradesh.
He accused the Congress government of betraying its promise to create permanent jobs for the youth and instead turning the state into a centre for addiction. “Himachal is now becoming a hub of liquor, chitta, bhang, intoxication, and now, lottery.”
Strongly condemning the decision, the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the Congress government immediately withdraw what it called an “anti-people decision.” Dhumal said the government must not play with the lives and savings of its citizens under the guise of increasing revenue.
“We will continue to raise this issue at every level to protect the people of Himachal from falling into the trap of addiction and false promises,” he said.
