Munish Sood
SHIMLA: Senior Congress leader and Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi on Sunday (July 27, 2025) accused the opposition BJP of orchestrating a shameful incident in which the national flag was “insulted during a protest in Thunag”.
Speaking at a press conference, Jagat Negi alleged that BJP workers hurled black flags and shoes at his car, which had the Tricolour mounted on the bonnet. “The black flags and shoes hit the national flag, which is an insult to the dignity of the country. This is BJP’s hypocrisy. Those who swear by the tricolour have dishonoured it,” he said.
Claims protest was sponsored by BJP
Jagat Negi claimed that the entire protest was stage-managed by the BJP. He alleged that persons involved in the incident were either building contractors or landlords who were getting affected by the shifting of the Horticulture and Forestry College from Thunag in Mandi district.
“These contractors and landlords exploit students by charging exorbitant rents while offering substandard living conditions. Hundreds of college students have been residing in temporary hostels or rented accommodations in the area. No permanent or safe residential facility has been provided by the authorities. Their parents have been demanding relocation of educational institutions from this hazard-prone area for years, especially after repeated natural calamities,” he said.
Minister says he left area only after reviewing relief efforts
Jagat Negi rubbished rumours that he fled the scene during the protest. “I was there to assess the relief and rescue operations. I left only after ensuring that aid was being properly distributed and administrative action was in motion. My presence was not political but administrative and humanitarian,” he clarified.
The minister alleged that BJP leaders were unsettled by his active involvement in relief efforts and could not digest the fact that a Congress minister was being appreciated by the public. “I visited affected villages and personally spoke with residents. The administration is working efficiently. But the BJP doesn’t want people to see the government’s ground-level action,” he said.
Referring to the recent natural disaster in Seraj, Jagat Negi targeted former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, accusing him and other BJP leaders of indulging in political lobbying in Delhi while Himachal was reeling under crisis. “When we had invited BJP leaders to Delhi during the 2023 disaster to jointly seek central relief, they refused to come. The Centre, under the BJP’s watch, offered no major relief package for Himachal then. Yet today, they’re making a spectacle in Delhi only for their constituency Seraj,” he remarked.
