After verbal duel between employee leaders and minister, is Himachal headed towards physical clashes?
The tension between the Himachal Pradesh government employees and the Congress cabinet continues to escalate as the Secretariat Employees Services Federation has opened a direct front against minister Rajesh Dharmani over the demand for dearness allowance and arrears.
The situation took a sharp turn on Friday when the federation’s leaders openly accused the minister of attempting to suppress the voices of the employees, leading to a heated exchange of words within the Secretariat premises.
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Sanjeev Sharma, president of the Federation, did not mince words as he confronted Dharmani. “If Dharmani is the MLA of Ghumarwin, then I am the MLA of the Secretariat,” Sharma declared boldly. He asserted that while Dharmani may have just started his ministerial career, he had held the position of the “Chief Minister” of the Secretariat Union for the third time.
Sharma’s remarks reflected the growing anger among employees, particularly when he suggested that Chief Minister Sukhu might now regret appointing Dharmani as a minister.
The tensions have escalated to the point where Sharma challenged Dharmani to contest the 2027 Assembly elections from any seat other than the minister’s home district Bilaspur. He even suggested that if Dharmani dared to contest from another constituency, the employees would fight against him. “If you have the guts, then get more votes than the employees,” Sharma challenged, indicating the deepening rift between the employees and the minister.
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The situation has sparked concerns that the verbal clashes could soon turn physical as the rhetoric on both sides intensifies. Sharma’s statements, particularly his assertion that the ministers are “living lavishly while the government pleads poverty”, have only added fuel to the fire.
He also criticised the misuse of official resources, pointing out that a car meant for the Governor and Chief Minister’s use in Delhi was allegedly being used by the wife of an IPS officer, while a minister with a house in Bharari (Shimla) had secured both a government bungalow and an MLA flat.
In response, Technical Education and TCP Minister Rajesh Dharmani fired back, claiming that the employee leaders were allegedly pawns in a larger conspiracy orchestrated by others. “False statements are being made to shine the leadership,” Dharmani stated, accusing his critics of distorting facts for their own gain.
As these verbal clashes escalate, there is growing apprehension that the situation could spiral out of control. The heated exchanges between employee leaders and politicians raise the question: Are we on the brink of a conflict that could resemble the unrest seen in countries like Bangladesh?
