Claims rain disaster being used as excuse to stall democracy
TNR News Network
Dharamshala:
Senior BJP leader and former Industries Minister Bikram Thakur launched a sharp attack on the Himachal Pradesh Congress government, accusing it of making a “political surrender” ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections.
Bikram Thakur alleged that the government is using the pretext of disaster management to delay polls and avoid facing the public.
In a statement, Bikram Thakur claimed the government had “conspired to stall the democratic process” by pressuring district officials to send letters to the Panchayati Raj Department seeking election postponement under the Disaster Management Act. “This is a direct attack on democracy and a shameful attempt to escape accountability,” he said.
Says disaster being used as a ‘convenient shield’
Bikram Thakur questioned the timing and motivation behind invoking disaster-related provisions. “If the Chief Minister and ministers can go on foreign tours and attend public events with pomp, what exactly is stopping them from conducting local body elections?” he asked.
He added that the government has all resources for political celebrations, inaugurations, and media optics, but when it comes to carrying out democratic responsibilities, it conveniently cites ‘disaster’.
Asks when Kullu Dussehra can be held, why not panchayat polls?
The former minister specifically referred to the recent Kullu Dussehra festivities, celebrated on a grand scale despite the region being among the worst-hit by natural disasters this year. “If such large-scale events can be held in disaster-hit zones, why not elections? This is a clear indication that the government is afraid of going to the people,” he said.
According to Bikram Thakur, the real reason behind the delay is not disaster, but the Congress government’s “fear of facing public anger over its failures”. He claimed that in the past two years, the administration neither provided timely relief to disaster-affected families nor ensured fair compensation.
Warns it’ll be last nail in Congress coffin
Calling the attempt to stall elections an “assault on the foundation of grassroots democracy,” Bikram Thakur warned that the Bharatiya Janata Party will take this issue to the people. “Panchayats are the very base of our democratic system. Any attempt to undermine them will be the final nail in the coffin of this government,” he said.
He also accused the Congress government of systematically weakening democratic institutions by politicising bureaucracy and prioritising optics over governance. He concluded by asserting that the BJP would fight this “betrayal of democracy” both on the ground and in the public discourse.
