The North News
Shimla, January 9
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has accused the Congress-led state government of undermining the Constitution in the conduct of local body elections, following a recent High Court ruling on gram panchayat polls. Speaking in Mandi, Thakur said the Indian National Congress carries the Constitution across the country and claims to “save” it, but does not hesitate to violate its principles whenever the opportunity arises.
He alleged that the manner in which the state government has handled elections to gram panchayats, municipal corporations and other urban local bodies shows arbitrariness and a lack of concern for constitutional norms and the rule of law. He also criticised the response of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to the court’s decision, calling it “absurd”. He objected to the chief minister’s reference to the Disaster Management Act while commenting on the verdict, saying it amounted to questioning the judiciary.
The former chief minister further alleged that those who had earlier celebrated using disaster relief funds had no moral standing to lecture on legality and governance.
Describing the High Court’s ruling on gram panchayat elections as “extremely important”, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the decision and viewed it as a reaffirmation of constitutional values. The state government has not issued a detailed response to the allegations.
