TNR News Network
Shimla:
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on the third day of the monsoon session on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) as unemployment and the state’s job trainee policy became flashpoints between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
Tensions flared during question hour, culminating in a walkout by BJP MLAs, who accused the government of making false promises on employment.
The confrontation began when BJP Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and MLA Bikram Singh Thakur questioned the Congress government on the number of jobs created since it came to power. Referring to the Congress’ poll promise of providing one lakh jobs annually and five lakh over five years, the opposition alleged that the government had failed to deliver on its commitments.
“The people of Himachal were misled with hollow guarantees. Where are the promised jobs? All we see are inflated and manipulated figures,” said Jai Ram Thakur.
CM’s response triggers protest
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu began listing employment figures and initiatives taken under his government, but the opposition countered that the data was “misleading”. As the CM defended the state’s job trainee policy and outlined steps taken to generate employment, BJP MLAs raised slogans, calling the numbers fabricated and accused the government of masking unemployment under training schemes.
What followed was a tense exchange across party lines, disrupting proceedings. Despite the Speaker’s appeals for order, the opposition refused to back down.
Opposition calls govt’s job trainee policy as smokescreen
Amid rising tempers, BJP MLAs staged a walkout, chanting slogans against the government and holding placards accusing it of failing the youth. They criticised the job trainee policy as a “smokescreen” for real employment and demanded transparency and accountability on job creation figures.
This marks the second consecutive day of chaotic scenes in the Assembly over key policy issues, highlighting growing political friction as the state grapples with economic and employment challenges.
