Shimla, April 14
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Monday criticized the Himachal Pradesh government over law and order following the Sarkaghat murder case in Mandi, alleging insensitivity and failure to respond even two days after the incident.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Thakur said the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government has failed to maintain law and order in the past three years. He referred to recent incidents, including the Chamba murder case and the killing of a college student in Mandi, to question the government’s handling of crime.
He said the government had not expressed condolences to the victim’s family even after two days. Thakur alleged that routine action in such cases is emboldening criminals. He added that the accused in the Mandi case was caught by villagers, and said it must be investigated whether others were involved.
Highlighting crime data, Thakur said over the past three years, 6,246 cases under the NDPS Act have been registered, with 66 deaths due to drug overdose. He also cited 239 murder cases, 1,011 rape cases, 3,032 thefts, and nine robbery cases.
He said crimes against women have increased and accused the government of lacking sensitivity. On the drug issue, he said, while events are being organized, the ground situation remains serious. Targeting the chief minister, Thakur alleged that officials are running the administration without accountability and that governance has weakened.
