TNR News Network
Dharamshala: On the birth anniversary of six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh, BJP leader and Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma paid glowing tributes to the late Congress stalwart even as he has been launching a sharp attack on the current Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government every now and then over various issues.
“Wo ek vyakti nahin… ek vichar they, ek yug they. Himachal ki aatma mein basne wale Raja Virbhadra Singhji ki jayanti par naman. (Virbhadra Singh was not just a man, but an idea, an era. He lived in the soul of Himachal,” Sharma said in a social media post, recalling the legacy of the former Congress leader, whose mass appeal cut across generations. “Today’s leaders should learn from his vision and commitment to public service,” he said.
In contrast, Sudhir remains highly critical of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accusing his administration of “mishandling matters”.
Sudhir recently raised questions about the state government’s investigation into the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, alleging gross negligence. “The probe team failed to conduct forensic analysis of Negi’s clothes and the pen drive recovered from his body has mysteriously gone missing,” he claimed.
He also alleged that several officials connected to the investigation had gone on leave to avoid involvement, suggesting a deeper attempt to suppress facts. “Officials themselves are uncomfortable with the way this inquiry is being steered. This is why we have consistently demanded a CBI probe,” Sudhir had asserted.
Among other issues, Sudhir had earlier criticised the Chief Minister’s decision to host official events at a luxury hotel in Chandigarh. “Why are so many government functions being held at Hyatt Regency? Who benefits from this arrangement?” he had asked, hinting at a possible conflict of interest.
Sudhir was a minister in the Virbhadra-led Congress government from 2012 to 2017. He rebelled against the Congress when Sukhu became the minister in 2022 and the Dharamshala MLA was left out of the Cabinet despite his name being considered for a berth earlier.
