Shimla:
A high-level delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met the Himachal Pradesh Governor on Wednesday at 11 am, raising serious concerns over the prevailing political and administrative conditions in the state, especially in the aftermath of the infamous Vimal Negi death case.
The delegation, led by Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, along with BJP state president Dr Rajeev Bindal, submitted a memorandum demanding accountability and transparency in the investigation surrounding the mysterious death of Vimal Negi, a Chief Engineer with Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited.
The BJP’s demand follows a directive from the Himachal Pradesh High Court for a CBI investigation into the matter, which has raised questions about the state government’s and police administration’s conduct.
The BJP has criticised the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, accusing it of mishandling the situation and failing to maintain administrative discipline. Also present in the delegation were BJP state in-charge Srikant Sharma, co-incharge Sanjay Tandon, all BJP MPs from the state and party MLAs.
Meeting a day after 3 officers sent on leave
The meeting with the Governor comes just a day after the Sukhu government took unprecedented disciplinary action against top bureaucrats, escalating political tensions further.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Omkar Sharma, Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi were all sent on leave amid allegations of indiscipline and internal disputes.
Omkar Sharma was stripped of all departmental responsibilities, while DGP Ashok Tiwari has been given the additional charge of the state police chief.
Both Atul Verma and SP Gandhi have been issued show-cause notices. According to official notifications, Verma applied for earned leave and Gandhi sought medical leave, though sources indicate the leaves were effectively enforced by the government amidst growing tensions within the top brass.
CM chairs meeting before disciplinary action
The disciplinary actions were finalised during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at Oak Over, his official residence in Shimla.
The meeting included Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, CM’s Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Law Secretary Sharad Kumar Lagwal and Advocate General Anoop Rattan.
During the deliberations, serious concerns were raised about the conduct of the three senior officers, with SP Gandhi reportedly facing possible suspension over accusations of indiscipline during a recent press briefing.
DGP Verma’s alleged involvement in internal disputes also led to the decision to relieve him temporarily, despite his impending retirement on March 31.
The government is also reportedly dissatisfied with Omkar Sharma’s handling of internal reports, citing a lack of balanced inquiry and partiality in administrative communication.
Meanwhile, former BJP minister and Jaswan Pragpur MLA Bikram Thakur was missing from the party’s Governor house visit. He had raised the HPPCL issue in September 2024 much before Vimal Negi’s death in March this year.
Sunil Chadha
