During the Himachal Pradesh Assembly monsoon session, BJP staged its second walkout, accusing the government of failing disaster relief efforts and criticising CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s absence. LoP Jai Ram Thakur said entire villages are cut off, tourists stranded, and supplies blocked in Kullu, Lahaul, and Chamba.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speaks during the Monsoon session of the State Assembly, in Shimla (Pics/PTI)
Amid the ongoing monsoon session in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly staged a walkout for the second time during the ongoing monsoon session, citing dissatisfaction with the government's response to the ongoing disaster and the absence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu from the House.
As reported by news agency ANI, the Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, speaking to the media after the walkout, asserted that, "Entire villages have been washed away. The Kullu-Manali road has been blocked for the past three days, with all routes cut off and thousands of tourists stranded. People are spending nights in their vehicles. In Lahaul and Chamba, the situation is such that even ration supplies are not reaching people. The government has failed to arrange essential supplies."
Thakur alleged that three legislators from Chamba district, including Hans Raj, MLA from Churah, had been raising the issue of deploying helicopters for rescue operations, but the state government had taken "no action".
Adding to his statements, he further said, "When the Deputy Chief Minister says 'everything is fine,' it is misleading. Opening the road up to Chamba does not mean that people stranded in Bharmaur or other cut-off areas have been evacuated. Many areas in Kullu-Manali, Lahaul-Spiti, and Chamba remain inaccessible," as cited by news agency ANI.
Thakur criticised the Chief Minister for failing to lead relief operations and providing inaccurate data during difficult circumstances, saying, "This is the most critical subject before the Assembly. Hundreds have died, thousands of homes and orchards have been devastated, and connections throughout the state have been disrupted,” as cited by news agency ANI.
However, the Chief Minister is not here to lead relief efforts; rather, he is attending political events. If helicopters were made available to Chamba MLAs, people might be evacuated right now. But the administration is providing incorrect numbers and stating that everything is normal when it is not.
Churah MLA Hans Raj, speaking to ANI, said the situation in Chamba district was "catastrophic", with the Manimahesh Yatra underway and large parts of his constituency cut off.
BJP leader Hans Raj asserted that "For the past month and a half, heavy rains have devastated different districts, but this time, Chamba has been hit severely. My constituency is completely cut off; there is no contact with the area, and we have no confirmed casualty figures. We wanted the government to ensure the evacuation of stranded people, but instead, they are giving wrong numbers. The Speaker says the road opened at 2 AM, but the Chamba headquarters itself is still inaccessible. Dalhousie, Churah, Pangi, and Sach Pass have received more than a foot of snow, and all routes are blocked," as cited by news agency ANI.
(With inputs from ANI)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
