C R Kesavan, the National spokesperson of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) condemned the Congress-led Himachal Government on Wednesday over the non-payment of salaries of state government employees.
“Utterly misled by their irrational, kathakat, voodoo economics and tughlaq economics of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress government in Himachal has plunged the state into financial ruin and brink of bankruptcy. Like an unreliable, unsafe and precarious leaky boat, the Congress government with its reckless false promises it made to the people during elections has plunged the state and its future of its people into disparate darkness”, said the national spokesperson in a statement.
Further criticising the Congress, he questioned the silence of the Congress leadership, saying that the Gandhi family have abandoned the people of Himachal Pradesh. “We have read in papers from time to time that they (Gandhi family) go to Shimla for a vacation, but now why have they abandoned the good people of Himachal Pradesh? Mr Rahul Gandhi, who comments on everything under the sun, even in Timbuktu, why is he maintaining such a steely silence on the financial catastrophe by his own Congress government in Himachal Pradesh?”, he added.
The delay in the disbursement of salaries of employees of the state Secretariat has left the employees anxious and prompted them to draft a letter to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Finance, demanding an immediate release of their salaries. The employees argue that the delay is causing financial strain, preventing them from meeting their monthly obligations.
Earlier in the Himachal Assembly session, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu acknowledged the financial struggles in the House, announcing a two-month deferment of salaries for himself, ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and MLAs. However, he later claimed there was no financial crisis, contradicting his initial statement.
Leader of the Opposition, Jairam Thakur, criticised the situation, stating, “Rahul Gandhi’s fake guarantees have been exposed in Himachal Pradesh. Other states should also learn a lesson from this.”
Thakur further emphasised the gravity of the situation, highlighting the inconsistency in the government’s statements.
He also noted that the opposition had sought a discussion in the House on the economic situation, but claimed the government is not treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves.