Shimla: Leader of the Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Saturday accused the Congress-led state government of political vendetta, administrative misuse, and alleged phone tapping of public representatives.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Thakur alleged that during the past four years, the state government had focused more on political retaliation than governance and development. He claimed that the administration was being used to target political opponents and warned that officials found acting under political pressure would be held accountable after a change in government.
The BJP leader said that if his party returns to power in Himachal Pradesh, all cases that were allegedly registered with political motives would be reviewed in the very first Cabinet meeting. According to him, cases found to be baseless would be withdrawn, while officials responsible for filing such cases would face action.
He appealed to government officials to maintain neutrality and avoid taking decisions under political influence, stating that such actions could cast doubts on their impartiality.
Demands Probe Into Alleged Phone Tapping
Thakur also made serious allegations of phone surveillance, claiming that the telephones of BJP MLAs, their Personal Security Officers (PSOs), and even some Congress legislators, the Deputy Chief Minister, and certain ministers were being tapped.
Describing the allegations as a matter of grave concern, he demanded an independent and impartial inquiry into the alleged phone tapping to establish the facts.
Alleges Harassment of BJP Leaders
Referring to recent Panchayat, municipal body, and Zila Parishad elections, Thakur claimed that the people had rejected the Congress government. Instead of accepting the public verdict, he alleged, the government had initiated action against victorious public representatives.
He further alleged that FIRs had been registered and investigative agencies used to pressure several BJP leaders and their families. Among those he named were State BJP President Dr. Rajeev Bindal, MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Ashish Sharma, and Indradutt Lakhanpal, former minister Sukhram Chaudhary, and former MLAs Hoshiar Singh, K.L. Thakur, Rajendra Rana, and Devendra Bhutto.
Thakur also claimed that Panchayat representatives were being subjected to repeated notices and administrative action, resulting in harassment. He referred to the case of a woman police employee allegedly struggling to secure justice and said the reported differences between the Director General of Police (DGP) and a former Superintendent of Police (SP) had become a matter of public discussion.
The Leader of the Opposition further claimed that there was growing dissatisfaction within the Congress over the Chief Minister’s style of functioning and alleged that reports concerning the state government’s performance had reached the party’s central leadership.
He urged the Chief Minister to focus on addressing issues such as development and public welfare instead of engaging in political rhetoric. Thakur also questioned remarks made by the Chief Minister’s media adviser regarding an alleged deal that, according to him, had led to an attack on his son.
