‘Coward’, ‘Piddi’: Rebel Himachal Congress MLAs Rana, Sudhir attack CM Sukhu for FIR, say even ‘intimidation’ won’t help save his govt
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TNR Desk
A day after an FIR was lodged against disqualified Congress MLA from Gagret Chaitanya Sharma’s father and Independent MLA from Hamirpur Ashish Sharma, rebel party leader Rajinder Rana attacked Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu saying the police action was an “act of cowardice”.
Rana, an MLA from Sujanpur (Hamirpur) who too has been disqualified from the Vidhan Sabha, wrote on his Facebook page that “battles were not won by attacking from behind like cowards”. He has used words like “coward, fraud and Shehanshah” to target the Chief Minister.
The post in Hindi read as: “कायरों की तरह पीछे से वार करके लड़ाइयां नहीं जीती जाती। असली योद्धा सामने आकर लड़ते हैं और कायर छिपकर वार करते हैं। इतिहास साक्षी है कि असली योद्धा फ्रंटलाइन पर आकर लड़ते हैं और सामने से ललकार कर वार करते हैं जबकि कायर व बुजदिल झूठ और फरेब का सहारा लेते हैं लेकिन जंग में उनके पांव उखड़ते देर नहीं लगती। डरा धमकाकर और झूठे मुकदमे दर्ज करवा कर कोई भी शहंशाह अपनी कुर्सी महफूज नहीं रख सकता। जो मुकदमे दर्ज करवा रहे हैं और जो मुकदमे दर्ज कर रहे हैं, वक्त उनसे भी हिसाब लेगा। विधायकों का कारोबार रोकना और मित्रों को लूट की छूट देना क्या यही व्यवस्था परिवर्तन है…? 
“Battles are not won by attacking from behind like cowards. Real warriors face the frontlines, while cowards lurk in hiding. History is replete with examples that real warriors have confronted challenges head-on while the deceitful rely on lies and trickery. However, their schemes unravel swiftly in the face of conflict. No emperor can secure his throne through intimidation or by fabricating accusations. Time will also hold accountable those who manipulate the legal system and those who fall victim to it. Halting the businesses of elected representatives while enabling corruption among allies—does this signify systemic change?”
Disqualified Congress MLA from Dharamshala and another rebel, Sudhir Sharma, too targeted Chief Minister Sukhu alleging nothing great could be expected of him. In a Facebook post, he put out a picture of a small bird and captioned it as:
“यह पिद्दी है… जिसके ऊपर कहावत बनी… क्या पिद्दी क्या पिद्दी का शोरबा” (A small bird can’t be of any good use)
The FIR against Chaitanya’s father Rakesh Sharma, a retired IAS officer who remained the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary, and Ashish Sharma was lodged at the Boileauganj police station in Shimla in connection with the alleged horse-trading during the recent Rajya Sabha election and purported efforts to destabilise the state government during the Assembly session.
Jointly filed by Congress MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthi and MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur, the complaint outlines a series of alleged activities aimed at influencing the outcome of the Rajya Sabha election and impeding the passage of the Finance Bill during the Vidhan Sabha budget session. According to the complainants, extensive measures, including the use of helicopters, paramilitary forces and outside vehicles, were orchestrated to undermine the state government’s stability.
The Shimla police have initiated an investigation into the matter. Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed that the case had been registered under several sections, including 171A, 171C, 120B and sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Responding to the development, Chaitanya asserted that the accusations against his father were politically motivated. He accused Chief Minister Sukhu of targeting him and five other MLAs unjustly. He claimed that harassment tactics, such as blocking access to their residences and assessing their properties, had been employed against them.
Chaitanya and Ashish said they had not received official confirmation or a copy of the FIR. They said they would take legal action against those responsible for filing what they called “false charges”. The six Congress rebels — Chaitanya, Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Ravi Thakur, ID Lakhanpal and Davinder Bhutto — had cross-voted for BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan, leading to the defeat of Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha election from the lone seat in Himachal Pradesh.
