IBEX NEWS,shimla
MLA Sanjay Awasthi criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, calling it an anti-Himachal Pradesh party and accusing its state leaders of falling prey to political desperation in their pursuit of power. He alleged that BJP leaders were neither concerned about the welfare of the people nor the interests of the state.
Targeting Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur Sh. Awasthi said that during his tenure as Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur remained indifferent to the needs of the state and failed to deliver any substantial progress. He said that for five years, the BJP government did nothing but mislead the public by propagating the notion of a double-engine government. He further alleged that the previous government neglected to effectively advocate for the state’s interests in court and was now using court decisions to mislead people and tarnish the reputation of the state wherever they were going.
Sh. Awasthi highlighted the stark contrast between the BJP and the current Congress government, led by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He asserted that while the BJP ignored the needs of the state, the Congress government was working tirelessly to safeguard the interest of the state.
He also accused BJP leaders of prioritizing politics over people during times of crisis. When the state was reeling under the aftermath of a disaster and the government was actively aiding affected families, BJP leaders were busy playing political games. He said that instead of supporting a proposal in the Assembly to declare the disaster as a national calamity and demand a special relief package, BJP MLAs staged a walkout.
Sanjay Awasthi said that the state government had submitted disaster relief claims worth Rs.10,000 crore to the Central Government as per prescribed rules, but BJP leaders were allegedly creating hurdles by misleading the Centre. Despite this, the state government managed to provide a Rs. 4,500 crore special relief package from its own resources, rehabilitating 23,000 affected families without any central assistance.
He also accused Jai Ram Thakur and other BJP leaders of frequently visiting Delhi to obstruct central aid for the state. He said that after the failure of Operation Lotus in Himachal Pradesh, BJP leaders were desperate for attention and was resorting to conspiracies to tarnish the image of present Congress government.