Munish Sood
Mandi
A fresh political storm has broken out in Himachal Pradesh after Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri engaged in a heated exchange over a viral photograph allegedly showing GI pipes used instead of iron girders in the roofing of a Jal Shakti Department building in the Nirmand area of Kullu district.
The controversy began on Sunday evening when Jai Ram Thakur took to Facebook, posting the photograph along with a pointed remark aimed at the Congress government.
He wrote, “Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister should clarify whether this is a scam or a system change.”
Thakur alleged that officials of the Jal Shakti Department had illegally used Jal Jeevan Mission pipes in the construction of the roof, calling it a reflection of the “collapse of administrative discipline” under the present regime.
However, the post triggered an immediate and strong response from Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who accused the former Chief Minister of spreading misinformation without checking the facts.
In a detailed rebuttal, Agnihotri clarified that the roof in question was constructed in 1990–91, nearly 35 years ago, when a BJP-led government was in power.
“The roof made with GI pipes was constructed during the BJP government’s time in 1990–91. It recently came to light when the department began repair work on the leaking structure. The old truss is now being replaced with a proper CGI sheet roof,” Agnihotri stated.
The Deputy CM further said that a leader of Thakur’s seniority should act responsibly on public platforms instead of tarnishing the image of government departments for political gain.
Adding to the exchange, former minister and senior Congress leader Prakash Chowdry also hit out at the BJP leader, saying that Thakur was in too much of a hurry to attack the government without even verifying the facts.
“The Leader of Opposition seems to have no other work than criticising the government day and night. A simple fact-check with the department could have told him that this structure was built decades ago, during his own party’s rule. But instead, he rushed to social media to mislead people for headlines,” Chowdry remarked.
Chowdry went a step further, accusing Thakur of trying to remain politically relevant through social media theatrics.
“This kind of unverified propaganda only exposes the Opposition’s frustration. Instead of constructive criticism, they are busy creating false narratives to stay in the news,” he added.
Political analysts say the latest ‘pipe roof’ controversy has once again highlighted the growing hostility between the Congress and BJP leadership in the hill state. What started as a local infrastructure issue has now spiraled into a full-blown political slugfest, with both sides using Facebook as a weapon to target each other.
Observers believe this episode also signals the emerging trend of digital politics in Himachal — where viral posts and instant reactions are increasingly shaping public perception, often without the patience of verification or official clarification.
