Shimla, June 6
A controversy broke out during the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Zila Parishad members in Shimla on Saturday, after district authorities allegedly barred family members, supporters, and political leaders from attending.
The ceremony, held at Bachat Bhawan, was part of the state-wide swearing-in program for newly elected representatives ranging from village pradhans to Zila Parishad members. However, tensions escalated when Deputy Commissioner Shimla Anupam Kashyap reportedly directed all persons other than the elected members to leave the hall.
The move triggered strong protests from BJP leaders present at the venue. Party leaders surrounded the Deputy Commissioner and raised slogans against him inside the premises. Amid the protests, the Deputy Commissioner left the venue under police protection.
BJP leaders accused the district administration of acting under political pressure from the state government. Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said he had been attending oath-taking ceremonies since 2000 but had never witnessed such restrictions.
“Every year the halls remain packed with supporters and family members. Oath-taking ceremonies are being held across the state, but only in Shimla has such an arrangement been witnessed. The government must explain what it is afraid of,” Mahajan said.
He claimed that the BJP had the numbers required to elect both the Zila Parishad chairperson and vice-chairperson in Shimla and alleged that the state government lacked faith in Panchayati Raj institutions. Mahajan also accused the government of previously attempting to delay local body elections through legal means and termed the Chief Minister’s recent remarks regarding BDC and Zila Parishad members as unfortunate.
Former Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj also criticized the Congress government, alleging that some officials were functioning as political agents rather than neutral administrators.
“From panchayat-level ceremonies to the swearing-in of the President, family members and the public are traditionally allowed to attend. The decision to remove supporters, relatives and media persons from the venue is unprecedented,” Bhardwaj said.
BJP Shimla district president Keshav Chauhan described the decision as unfortunate and alleged that the Congress government was attempting to hide its electoral setback in the Zila Parishad elections.
“The people have elected these representatives. They have every right to take their oath in the presence of their families and supporters. The government appears worried about losing control of local bodies,” Chauhan said.
No immediate response was available from the district administration regarding the allegations at the time this report was filed.
