Facing flak for an increase in the prices of diesel in the state, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday attacked the previous BJP Government, saying it cheated the people of the State by making false promises and tall claims in a bid to retain power.
Talking to reporters at Shimla after returning from New Delhi, Sukhu said the BJP Government during the last about six months of its tenure opened over 900 institutions without making any budgetary provisions. It would require over Rs. 5000 crores to effectively make these institutions functional, he added and said that not only this the BJP Government after facing crushing defeat in bye-elections reduced VAT on diesel and petrol just to befool the people.
The chief minister said that now the same leaders were making hue and cry over the nominal increase made by the State Government on VAT of diesel. "The State Government was forced to take this decision to generate income sources as the present State Government has inherited a financial burden of Rs. 75000 crore from the previous BJP Government due to its financial mismanagement," he added.
Sukhu said that it was strange that the posts of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries were created by the BJP Government and now the same leaders were questioning the present State Government’s decision of appointing the CPSs. He advised the BJP leaders to have patience as the people of the State have given a massive mandate in favour of the Congress Party.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Ministers Chander Kumar and Rohit Thakur refuted the statement of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, in which he questioned the decision of the State Government regarding the appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and allegedly ignoring the interests of Kangra district in the cabinet expansion.
In a joint statement issued here, the two ministers advised the leader of the opposition to desist from issuing baseless and malicious statements as the people of the State have completely rejected the BJP in the recently concluded general assembly elections. It seems that the Jai Ram Thakur was finding it difficult to adjust to his new role as leader of opposition, but he should compromise with the situation and humbly accept the mandate of the people of the State, they added.
They said that due to the financial mismanagement and wasteful expenditure made by the previous BJP Government, the economy of the State completely derailed. They said that the so-called double engine Governments at the Centre and the State failed miserably and the State even did not succeed to get its dues from the Centre.