Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, June 18
The Principal Media Advisor to Himachal CM, Naresh Chauhan, has strongly denied opposition allegations of irregularities in the ongoing police recruitment process, calling the claims politically motivated and unfounded. Naresh Chauhan while addressing the press conference on Wednesday, accused Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur of “projecting his own past onto the present.” “Perhaps Mr Thakur is reminded of the police recruitment scam during his own tenure,” Chauhan said, pointing to the large-scale paper leak scandal under the previous BJP-led government that led to the cancellation of exams.
Chauhan maintained that under the Congress-led administration, the recruitment process is being conducted in a “transparent and corruption-free manner” by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC), an independent body. He said this shift from direct police department oversight to an autonomous commission was deliberate, aimed at restoring public trust and ensuring clean hiring practices. “Unlike the previous system, where question papers were sold openly, we have insulated the process from political and departmental interference,” Chauhan asserted.
The BJP, led by Jairam Thakur, has raised concerns over transparency and alleged political interference in the current recruitment drive. However, Chauhan dismissed these as “baseless allegations” and insisted that the Congress government’s commitment to institutional integrity remains firm. This is the latest flashpoint in the continuing war of words between the Congress government and the opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh, where both sides have accused each other of politicising civil services recruitment.
