Leader of Opposition attacks Sukhu government over employee protests, JBT teachers’ agitation and delay in launching flagship welfare scheme
Munish Sood
SHIMLA: Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday stepped up his attack on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, accusing it of failing to address the grievances of employees, pensioners and teachers and alleging that several government programmes were being repeatedly deferred.
Thakur made the remarks after paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries at the historic Ridge in Shimla. He also participated in a cleanliness drive organised as part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations and appreciated the contribution of sanitation workers.
Recalling the legacy of the two national leaders, Thakur said Gandhi’s principles of truth, non-violence, sacrifice and satyagraha continued to remain relevant, while Shastri’s simplicity, integrity and commitment to duty continued to inspire the country.
The BJP leader, however, used the occasion to launch a pointed political attack on the state government.
He alleged that employees and pensioners were being forced to take to the streets despite the Congress government’s claims of being pro-employee. He also criticised the government over the ongoing agitation by JBT teachers, alleging that their grievances had not received adequate attention from the Chief Minister or his ministers.
Thakur also questioned the delay in the proposed launch of the ‘Mukhyamantri Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar’ scheme, which, he said, had been announced for Gandhi Jayanti.
Taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Thakur alleged that the government had once again postponed the programme, drawing a parallel with the earlier postponement of a programme at Dehuri school in Mandi.
He attributed the latest delay to the inability of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit Himachal Pradesh at the scheduled time.
Thakur went on to make a broader political allegation, saying the repeated postponement of programmes reflected the importance being attached to the availability of senior Congress leaders.
“It is unfortunate that even the top leadership of the Congress does not take Chief Minister Sukhu seriously,” he said, alleging that programmes and schemes had been repeatedly rescheduled during the government’s tenure because of the non-availability of senior party leaders.
The former Chief Minister also accused Sukhu of giving insufficient attention to development-related issues and alleged that the Chief Minister was instead concentrating on a select group of associates. He further claimed that ministers were consequently required to travel to Delhi to take up their concerns with the central leadership.
Delhi meetings
Responding to questions about his recent visit to Delhi, Thakur said he had held discussions with Union ministers on a range of issues concerning Himachal Pradesh, including development projects, the functioning of the state government and organisational matters.
He said such meetings also involved reviewing ongoing schemes and exploring ways in which the state could benefit from greater support from the Centre.
Thakur’s remarks come against the backdrop of a sustained political confrontation between the BJP and the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, with employee grievances, government schemes and development issues emerging as recurring points of attack by the Opposition.
