Munish Sood
MANDI:
The political atmosphere in Himachal Pradesh has heated up after the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government transferred 41 doctors from Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College, Nerchowk (Mandi). The BJP says this decision shows how the Congress government is “punishing” Mandi, the home district of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
According to the BJP, this is not a single incident but part of a bigger pattern. Party leaders say the government has already weakened Sardar Patel University and is now moving the upcoming Atal Medical University out of Nerchowk. They claim all these steps are being taken because Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wants to politically target Jai Ram Thakur’s stronghold.
BJP says govt taking ‘revenge’ after defeat
BJP chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal said the transfer of so many doctors and the shifting of the medical university are not normal administrative decisions.
“These are acts of political revenge. Sukhu is trying to damage Mandi’s institutions just to weaken Jai Ram Thakur,” he said.
The BJP says that moving Atal Medical University from Nerchowk to Sarkaghat has upset the people of the area. According to the party, the project was already approved for Balh constituency, but the Chief Minister shifted it to help his close supporter Pawan Thakur, who lost the last Assembly election from Sarkaghat.
“This decision has angered even Congress workers,” Jamwal claimed.
The BJP alleges that since the Congress came to power, the Sukhu government has been slowly weakening institutions set up during Jai Ram Thakur’s tenure. They say Sardar Patel University has been left without proper funding or new staff, and more than 100 affiliated colleges were moved back to Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla.
With the latest transfer of doctors and the shifting of Atal Medical University, the BJP says Mandi’s education and health system is suffering badly.
“This is clear political vendetta. The Chief Minister wants to hurt Jai Ram Thakur politically and is punishing an entire district in the process,” he said.
BJP says Chief Minister’s claims don’t match his actions
The BJP has also pointed out that the Chief Minister recently called himself the “guardian of Mandi”. But the party says his government’s decisions tell a different story.
BJP leaders say the Congress government is focused more on settling political scores than on development. They claim this is being done to weaken the BJP’s leadership before the next Assembly elections.
People in Mandi say they feel their district is being ignored. Institutions are being shifted or closed, and residents fear that the district’s development is being pushed backwards.
The BJP warns that this “revenge politics” by the Congress may create a strong emotional reaction among voters. With Mandi being one of the most important regions of Himachal Pradesh, the party believes these decisions could heavily influence the next state election.
