Shimla: Himachal Pradesh BJP general secretary Bihari Lal Sharma has accused Congress leader Naresh Chauhan, who is the media adviser to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, of spreading misinformation and shifting blame to the BJP over his own government’s “failures”.
In a sharp response to Chauhan’s recent statements, Sharma criticised the Congress-led government, asserting that it has failed to fulfill any of its election promises in Himachal Pradesh. “They claim they have fulfilled their guarantees, but the reality is different. Neither jobs have been provided, nor has the Rs 1,500 allowance been given to women, nor have farmers received their due benefits. All that the people have received is deceit,” Sharma stated.
Sharma backed Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, BJP state president Dr Rajiv Bindal and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, saying their criticism of the Congress government held truth, which was why the Congress leaders were reacting defensively.
Criticism over temple fee, increased taxation
Sharma also condemned the Congress government’s imposition of fees on devotees visiting the renowned Shaktipeeth Chintpurni temple. He highlighted the Rs 300 per person fee for easy access to the temple, calling it an unfair financial burden on devotees. “This is the first government that is imposing taxes even on the darshan of God. The government is anti-God,” Sharma remarked, adding that the fee for groups of up to five devotees had risen from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,500, worsening the burden on the faithful.
He criticised the Congress administration for an alleged increase in various taxes, including transport tax, luxury tax and charges on essential utilities like water and electricity. “There is no positive and developmental work happening in Himachal Pradesh. Instead, the government is only focused on acts of revenge,” Sharma claimed, pointing to rising prices of commodities like cement, edible oil, diesel and petrol, which he said had only added to public hardship.
Concerns over disaster relief funds
Sharma further commented on the government’s decision to investigate the allocation of disaster relief funds. He welcomed the move, which he noted was a long-standing BJP demand, citing complaints of misappropriation in several regions. “The government has asked all Deputy Commissioners to report on how the relief funds were spent. It’s essential to verify if the funds were used for their intended purpose,” Sharma said. He predicted that evidence of alleged corruption would soon come to light, supporting BJP’s claims about improper use of disaster relief resources.
