Himachal BJP chief Bindal says his party to stop lottery system after returning to power

Announces major protest in Mandi on August 6 against FIRs in Thunag

TNR News Network
Shimla:
The decision to revive the lottery system in Himachal Pradesh after 25 years has triggered sharp political backlash, with BJP state president Dr Rajeev Bindal taking a direct swipe at the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government.

Mocking the decision, Bindal said, “Now the slogan in the state will be ‘Le lo Sukhu ki lottery le lo’ (buy Sukhu’s lottery).” He accused the Congress government of betraying the unemployed youth of the state. “The Congress came to power promising one lakh government jobs, but now it is pushing the youth towards gambling. It seems the government wants them to stop preparing for competitive exams and instead gamble their future on lottery tickets,” he said.

Bindal asserted that when the BJP returns to power, such “regressive” decisions would be overturned, recalling that the lottery system was first banned in 1998 under BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. “The Congress revived it in 2004 and then Virbhadra Singh shut it down again in 2007. Clearly, even their own party once realised its dangers,” he said.

Bindal says Himachal has become a ‘hub of drugs, liquor, lottery’

The BJP leader launched a broader attack on the state’s governance under the Congress, alleging the state had become a hotspot for liquor, drugs, cannabis and lottery. He alleged that liquor shops had been set up on Public Works Department (PWD) land with impunity.

“But if a poor man dares to sell maize by the roadside, he’s slapped with a fine,” Bindal remarked, accusing the Congress regime of running a biased and oppressive administration.

Dr Bindal didn’t hold back in labelling the Sukhu government as authoritarian. “Anyone who speaks against the government faces FIRs, transfers or reopening of old files. Even those who protest peacefully are being slapped with criminal cases,” he said.

He cited the case on 72 individuals in Thunag who, despite losing homes and land during recent natural disasters, were allegedly booked for sedition under the guise of “protecting the Tricolour”. “One person is still in jail. Should they rebuild their homes or fight cases?” Bindal questioned.

He announced that the BJP will hold a massive protest in Mandi on August 6 to oppose what he called the “repressive, anti-people policies” of the Congress government.

Raising questions about disaster relief spending, Bindal asked the Sukhu government to reveal how much of the Rs 7,513 crore sent by the Centre for disaster management had actually been used.

“As per our information, the Congress government has spent only Rs 150 crore from the state head between 2022 and 2025. The rest remains unaccounted for. Add to that the funds received under MNREGA and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—yet little has reached the ground,” he alleged.