Congress holds rally in Shimla, blames the BJP for trying to topple the Himachal government

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukh and other Congress leaders participating in ‘Mashaal’ procession in Shimla on Monday. Photo: Special Arrangement

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to destabilise and topple the Himachal Pradesh government, Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on March 11 held a ‘mashaal’ (torch) rally in Shimla.

In a show of unity, the procession, which started from the city’s Ridge area and culminated at Chaura Maidan, was attended by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh, all State Cabinet Ministers, party MLAs, and others.

“The BJP attempted to show dust to the democratic process and make mockery of democratic norms in an unethical and undemocratic manner, and tried to topple the Congress government in the State, ignoring the huge mandate that the people have given to Congress in the State,” Mr. Sukhu said, addressing the gathering.

He said it was “an attempt was made by the Central government to attack the democratically elected State government by using unconstitutional means”.

Hitting out at the BJP, Mr. Sukhu said the previous BJP government in Himachal Pradesh had worsened the fiscal health of the State and left a huge debt burden. “We have not come for enjoying power but for serving the people of the State with a motto of ‘vyavastha parivartan’ (transforming the system). The government will complete its five-year tenure in the service of its people and not let the evil forces hinder the development of the State,” the CM added.

“We have fulfilled five out of the 10 guarantees promised to the people in the election manifesto in just 13 months of our regime, benefitting all the sections of the society, whereas the BJP was trying to mislead the people,” he said.

Six Congress legislators, who were disqualified from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in February, apart from three independent MLAs who cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27, are reportedly camping in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.

The rebel Congress MLAs have approached the Supreme Court against their disqualification. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on March 12. The ground for their disqualification was their absence from the Assembly when the State Budget and Finance Bill were being put to the vote, defying a party Whip to vote in favour of the government.