Opposition BJP announces boycott of revenue minister for rest of session
S Gopal Puri
DHARAMSHALA: The second day of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly’s winter session on Thursday (November 27, 2025) turned stormy as a fierce verbal duel between Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur once again brought proceedings to a halt, with the BJP declaring a “complete boycott of the minister for the remaining six sittings”.
Trouble erupted when Negi rose to participate in a discussion on panchayat elections — initiated on the Opposition’s demand —but immediately veered into a sharp personal attack on the former chief minister.
“When Jai Ram Thakur was CM, he turned the state into a scrapyard,” Negi said, triggering a furore in the House. BJP MLAs stormed the well, forcing Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.
Opposition alleges diversion, demands deletion of remarks
Outside the Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur accused the minister of straying from the subject.
“He never speaks on the agenda. He starts with Seraj and Jai Ram Thakur, and ends with Seraj and Jai Ram Thakur,” he told reporters.
Thakur said he had only asked for Negi’s objectionable words to be expunged and for an opportunity to respond, but the Speaker did not allow him to speak.
Session begins under shadow of protests
Earlier in the morning, BJP MLAs arrived in the Assembly complex carrying placards and raised slogans against the Sukhu government. They accused the state of withholding discretionary development funds and halting treasury payments, leading to stalled works in constituencies.
The winter session also saw a tug-of-war over whether Question Hour or the panchayat poll discussion should be taken up first.
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government was ready for debate on the Opposition’s adjournment motion. “But now the Opposition itself is backing out,” he said.
Jai Ram Thakur countered that the Opposition was never against discussion but insisted question hour must not be bypassed. “The government is running away from answering MLAs’ questions,” he alleged.
The absence of Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri led to murmurs in political circles. Sources said he had left for Delhi for his daughter’s wedding reception and would remain away from the winter session due to personal commitments.
Before the House convened, CM Sukhu was seen taking a morning walk in Dharamshala’s Kachahri Bazaar. He interacted with a vegetable vendor he had met last year, a conversation that, at the time, led to a loan waiver scheme for small shopkeepers. He also spoke briefly with locals at the rain shelter near Kachahri Chowk.
