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Political tensions in Himachal Pradesh escalated as the controversy over an incident involving samosas during the CID programme which was meant to serve Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu continued to fuel heated exchanges.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been relentless in its criticism of the Congress government, while Sanjay Awasthi, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) in the Sukhu government, has retaliated, accusing the BJP of distorting the facts to defame the state. Awasthi also alleged that the previous government has done corruption and mis utilization of funds during the "Jan Manch Programme". Awasthi also criticized the previous government's expenditures, highlighting that lavish spending of Rs 16,261 crore on the Jan Manch initiative was poorly managed. He cited a range of alleged misappropriations, including Rs 6 crore on bread alone, delayed financial commission payments of R 1,420 crore, is yet to be released to the state from the Union government. "The rent for buses and DA payments were announced but were never given to employees ,and funds were never used appropriately," he said. Addressing the media on Monday at the secretariat in Shimla, Awasthi defended the Congress government's performance, asserting that under CM Sukhu's leadership, efforts to make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant and efficient have been central. Awasthi said, "In the two-year tenure of the Congress government, the Chief Minister is trying to make Himachal self-reliant by changing the system." He accused the opposition of eroding the state's democratic culture, stating, "The role of the opposition in the past two years has hurt the democratic tradition of Himachal." Awasthi highlighted that during these two years, the Congress government has not faced a single corruption allegation, claiming this as a hallmark achievement of their administration. He contrasted this with the BJP's record, remarking, "This is the first government in which not a single leader has been accused of corruption in two years." He added that during the BJP's tenure, the party's current president was forced to resign amid corruption charges. With the samosa incident making headlines, Awasthi accused the BJP of attempting to destabilize the current government. "Today, the BJP has no issue and is trying to mislead the people of the state. They are polluting the clean environment of Himachal Pradesh, disgracing the state across the country," he said, defending CM Sukhu from any connection to the incident, explaining, "The Chief Minister has nothing to do with this incident. If anything happens within a department, the department itself takes action. But seeing the Chief Minister's popularity, the BJP is working to destabilize this permanent government." Awasthi also took aim at the BJP's previous administration, questioning their financial decisions, notably the high spending associated with events such as the Investor Meet. "BJP spent 19 crores in the name of the Investor Meet. Not only that, 6 crores worth of phulkas were lost in Jan Manch, and it was not even investigated," he claimed, implying that these expenditures had placed a financial burden on the state without yielding positive outcomes. The Congress leader also targeted Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan, a former Congress member now aligned with the BJP. He said that Mahajan had "just worn saffron robes" while building his political identity with Congress. "Today, he has gone to the Bharatiya Janata Party and is doing the same there too," Awasthi remarked, adding, "Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones at others' houses." The exchange has highlighted the intense political rivalry in Himachal Pradesh, with both parties leveraging every opportunity to influence public opinion. The controversy surrounding the samosa incident has now become a symbol of broader political tensions, as each side seeks to position itself as the true defender of Himachal's integrity. (ANI)
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