EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: BJP to form next govt in HP, probe ‘false cases’, says Jai Ram Thakur

Himachal Pradesh Leader of the Opposition(LoP) and former Chief Minister  Jai Ram Thakur has accused the Congress government of using “political vendetta” to target BJP leaders and said his party would order probes into cases it considers false if it returns to power.

“If the cases are genuine, if someone is involved in corruption or has done something wrong, they will have to face the cases. But we have not seen such false cases before,” Thakur said.

He also rejected allegations of factionalism within the state BJP, claimed the Congress leadership had advised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to improve his functioning and said the BJP was united under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thakur accused the Sukhu government of creating an “atmosphere of terror” and trying to silence political opponents as its term approaches its end. “This is the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that such a tradition has been started by a chief minister. He has not been able to work in Himachal Pradesh. His four-year term is about to be completed,” he said.

“The chief minister has created an atmosphere of terror. An attempt is being made to crush opponents, torture them and file cases against their families.”

He alleged that the government had been registering cases against BJP leaders for political reasons.

“The Congress leaders are saying they are going to do something big. There are many more cases to be filed. Did the people of Himachal Pradesh vote for this?” he asked.

Thakur cited the case of a BJP MLA from Chamba district, whom he described as a neurosurgeon and super-specialist providing treatment to needy patients.He alleged that the MLA had travelled from Dharamshala to Hamirpur to meet patients but was subsequently implicated in a case.“If the chief minister is doing this, then it is a very strange situation,” he said.

Thakur also accused the government of corruption and said the BJP would investigate such allegations if it formed the next government.

“We will order probes into all these matters after forming the government. We will investigate all the false cases,” he said.

Discussing the recent Panchayati Raj and municipal elections, Thakur said the results represented a major setback for the Congress government.

“We have never seen such an election result against any government,” he said. He accused the state government of delaying local elections and said the elections had originally been expected in November but were eventually held in May.

“The Congress has lost in the panchayats and BDCs. In the municipal corporation elections held at four places, the BJP won in three. These elections were fought on the party symbol,” he said.Thakur also said that BJP candidates had won the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson in nine of 10 districts where elections to Zila Parishad leadership positions had been held.

He said the results showed growing public dissatisfaction with the Congress government.

Thakur dismissed Congress claims that 16 of the BJP’s 28 sitting MLAs would fail to retain their seats in the next assembly election.

“There is no basis for such a statement. People do not trust the chief minister and the Congress MLAs. Now even their high command does not trust them,” he said.

He accused the Congress leadership of making repeated false promises.

“They lie. They lie every time. They lie everywhere,” he said.

Responding to allegations that BJP leaders were discouraging the Centre from releasing grants to Himachal Pradesh, Thakur said the state’s central assistance had not been reduced.

He said the revenue deficit grant was phased out as part of a Finance Commission decision applicable across the country.

“The revenue deficit grant was stopped for Himachal Pradesh, but there are 17 states and most of them are BJP-ruled states. It was a decision of the Finance Commission for the entire nation,” he said.

Mr Thakur, however, accused the Congress government of borrowing more than previous governments.

“When I left the government, approximately Rs69,000 crore had been borrowed in Himachal Pradesh. Today, more than Rs1.15 lakh crore has been borrowed,” he said.

On the delay in the proposed airport at Nagchala in Mandi district, Thakur blamed the Congress government for failing to take the project forward.

“The government does not know how to work and has damaged the project,” he said.

He also criticised the state’s handling of disasters such as cloudbursts and flash floods, alleging that the government lacked an effective response mechanism.

“The government does not know how to handle such situations and people suffer more because of this,” he said.

Thakur accused the government of working with a “motive of revenge” and said people in the state were increasingly critical of its actions.

Asked about the Himachal government’s decision to impose toll tax and the resulting tensions with neighbouring Punjab, Thakur said states sometimes needed to raise resources but should assess the wider consequences of taxation.

“Sometimes, to generate resources, you have to impose taxes. But what is the impact of those taxes? What will be their effect? All these things should be assessed,” he said.

“We have to work together and live together. The state government should avoid any decision which creates a rift with neighbouring states.”

Traffic remains a major challenge

Thakur acknowledged that traffic congestion was a serious problem in Shimla and across Himachal Pradesh.

He said the state’s mountainous terrain made road expansion difficult and expensive.

“In the plains, there is land and roads can be widened. In the hills, there are difficulties. Land acquisition costs a lot of money and causes inconvenience to people,” he said.

He said infrastructure projects initiated by his government should be completed, including tunnel projects in Shimla.

“We started the tunnel. After the British, it was the first tunnel built in Shimla,” he said.

According to Mr Thakur, the project could significantly improve connectivity and ease congestion.

“Tunnels could have been built, but the government does not have time for these things. They have to do politics,” he said.

Thakur rejected allegations that the BJP was facing factionalism.

“The BJP is united. In fact, Congress is divided. There are differences between the chief minister and the deputy chief minister and among other leaders,” he claimed.

“We belong to one party and are united. We have our leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Thakur also claimed that the Congress leadership had advised Mr Sukhu to improve the functioning of his government.

He suggested that continued problems could lead to questions over the state’s leadership, although he did not provide evidence for the claim.

Thakur accused the Congress government of failing to deliver on development and infrastructure during its tenure.

“In the last four years, ever since the Congress government was formed in Himachal Pradesh, development in the state has come to a standstill,” he said.

He alleged that infrastructure development had been neglected and said greater attention was needed in education and healthcare.

The BJP leader said the next assembly election would give voters an opportunity to assess the Congress government’s record.

His remarks come as both the BJP and Congress begin positioning themselves ahead of the next Himachal Pradesh assembly election, with local poll results becoming an increasingly important part of the political debate.