Munish Sood
Mandi
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly’s Budget Session witnessed dramatic scenes on Friday as a fierce confrontation broke out between the ruling Congress and the BJP over the rising drug menace and alleged police complicity. The situation escalated into sloganeering and protests, ending in a walkout by BJP legislators led by Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
Opposition Walkout Over Drug Menace
The uproar began during Zero Hour when BJP members raised concerns over the increasing spread of narcotics across the state, particularly in rural areas. Alleging involvement of police personnel in the drug trade, the opposition demanded accountability from the government. Unsatisfied with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s response, BJP MLAs staged a protest inside the House before walking out in strong dissent.
“When Protectors Turn Predators”
Addressing the media later, Jairam Thakur launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of shielding drug mafias and failing to maintain law and order.
“It is extremely unfortunate and shameful that those deployed to curb drug trafficking are themselves involved in such activities. When protectors turn predators, who will save our youth?” he remarked.
He further claimed that four personnel of the Special Task Force (STF), constituted to tackle drug trafficking, were recently caught allegedly smuggling dangerous substances like LSD—raising serious questions over the credibility of enforcement agencies.
Govt Accused of Insensitivity, “Event Management”
Jairam Thakur alleged that the state leadership was insensitive to the gravity of the drug crisis. He claimed that while he was raising the issue in the Assembly, the Chief Minister and senior officials appeared dismissive.
Targeting the Sukhu government, he said that in its three-and-a-half-year tenure, drug abuse has spread deep into rural Himachal, while the government remains focused on “event management and publicity”.
“Making school children stand for hours in the sun for cultural programmes will not stop drug abuse. Youth are dying of overdoses, and the government is busy with photo opportunities,” he said.
He contrasted this with the previous BJP regime, claiming that strict border vigilance had forced traffickers to scale down their operations during his tenure.
Phone Tapping, Surveillance Allegations
In a major escalation, Jairam Thakur also accused the government of misusing the police machinery for surveillance and phone tapping of opposition leaders.
“Instead of cracking down on drug networks, police are being used to track opposition MLAs. Their movements are being monitored and reported to the top leadership,” he alleged.
He further claimed that similar tactics were used during the Rajya Sabha elections, adding that phone tapping requires mandatory approval from the Home Department, but rules were allegedly being bypassed.
“State Facing Dual Crisis”
Concluding his address, Jairam Thakur warned that Himachal Pradesh is facing a dual crisis under the current regime—economic distress and social degradation due to drug proliferation.
“On one hand, the state is being pushed towards financial instability, and on the other, our youth—the backbone of society—are being destroyed by drugs,” he said.
He cautioned that if the government fails to take decisive action against the drug mafia and alleged administrative misuse, the BJP would intensify its protest and launch a statewide agitation.
