Himachal Pradesh News
BJP Escalates Attack on Sukhu Government as Himachal Nears Three-Year Milestone
As the Sukhu-led Congress government approaches its three-year mark, the BJP launches a forceful offensive at a massive rally in Dharamsala, accusing the state administration of misrule, corruption, stalled welfare schemes and failure to deliver on promises.
As the Congress government heads toward completing its three-year tenure on December 11, the BJP on Thursday intensified its political offensive against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accusing his administration of “misrule, corruption, and anti-people governance.” The criticism came during a large-scale protest rally in Dharamsala that drew thousands of supporters and local residents.
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur received a roaring welcome as the crowd chanted, “Hamara neta kaisa ho, Jai Ram Thakur jaisa ho.” Thakur immediately targeted Sukhu over the recent controversy involving a viral video of schoolchildren greeting the Chief Minister with “Radhe Radhe,” an incident that sparked an outcry after Sukhu questioned their greeting. Thakur alleged that the Chief Minister had “insulted Sanatan Dharma,” recalling Sukhu’s previous comment about bringing Congress to power in a “97 per cent Hindu-dominated state.”
Accusing the Congress government of alienating every segment of society, Thakur said people across Himachal were now protesting against the administration. “Our slogan is clear—three years of system collapse, replace this corrupt Congress government,” he declared. He further claimed the state had faced a string of natural disasters during the Congress tenure and argued that the government had failed to respond adequately.
Thakur alleged that essential welfare schemes such as the Shagun Yojana and Himcare had been left without funding. Demanding transparency, he sought a detailed disclosure of how the state spent the ₹5,500 crore already received for disaster relief, while also citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of an additional ₹1,500 crore, which he said would be released soon.
He also raised issues ranging from delays in funding the Central University campus in Dharamsala to alleged attempts to sell properties belonging to the Agriculture University. Thakur criticised amendments to Section 118 of the Revenue Act, calling them evidence of “Himachal on sale.” He further condemned the recent lathicharge on ABVP activists, asserting that public anger was intensifying across the state.
BJP state president Dr. Rajeev Bindal said the massive turnout reflected widespread dissatisfaction with what he described as the government’s administrative collapse. Gesturing toward the crowd, he predicted the BJP would “come like a storm” in the next elections and urged people to “take a pledge to remove the Congress from power.”
Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur accused the Chief Minister of working “against the interests of the Hindu community,” which makes up 97 per cent of Himachal’s population. Encouraging the crowd to chant “Radhe Radhe” and “Jai Jai Sia Ram,” he criticised the government over rising crime, a deteriorating law-and-order situation and a worsening financial crisis.
BJP state in-charge Shrikant Sharma opened his address with “Radhe-Radhe” and questioned the Congress’s unfulfilled 2022 poll promises. When he asked whether women had received the promised ₹1,500 allowance or whether youth had been given jobs, the crowd shouted back in unison: “Nothing has been given!”
Senior BJP leaders, MPs and MLAs, including former Speaker Vipin Parmar, were also present at the rally.
