In the run-up to Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Opposition Congress on Saturday released a 23-page document detailing the alleged corruption during the five years of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
The ‘charge sheet’ released by the Congress accused Thakur’s BJP government of selling jobs and indulging in corruption.
Hoping to form the next government in the state which alternates power between Congress and BJP, the Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri proposed to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate all recruitment done during Thakur’s tenure.
“Jai Ram Thakur will go down in history as chief minister under whom jobs were sold for cash. He played havoc with the careers of youths. Merit was never a criterion for recruitment — whether of police constables or others. The going rate for a constable was Rs 6-8 lakhs,” said Agnihotri at the release of the charge sheet.
Agnihotri said those who defrauded the youths will not be spared by the next government, which is going to be formed by the Congress.
Despite the allegations, the Congress in its charge sheet neither named Thakur nor any of his Cabinet colleague for involvement in any scam unlike the BJP in 2017.
The charge-sheet document was released by All India Congress Committee (AICC) media in-charge Pawan Khera. Those present also included Chairman of the Congress election campaign committee Sukhwinder Sukhu, who is also a chief ministerial post aspirant along with Agnihotri.
‘Charge Sheets’ a custom in Himachal
The framing of the charge sheet is almost a custom in Himachal ahead of assembly elections to raise the election fervour and raise chances of return to the power using alleged corruption as a political weapon.
The BJP, when in Opposition in 2017, had released a charge sheet against the Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh and named more than half of his Cabinet colleagues in the document. Some officials were also named. The BJP was then led by Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was the Leader of Opposition. He had promised a probe on return to power and legal action.
As Dhumal could not become chief minister, losing to incumbent Thakur, no action on the party’s charge sheet was taken. The charge sheet had specific charges of corruption.
“I wanted to change the custom of holding inquiries — a sheer waste of time and money with end-result as zero. That’s why the party is talking of riwaaz badlenge (change of custom) in the governance and also swapping of power after five years,” said Thakur at a conclave on polls organised by Doordarshan in Shimla.
Congress resolves to act on charge sheet
Irrespective of precedent, the Congress on Saturday resolved to probe all cases of corruption and irregularities in recruitments and government purchases.
“Around 225 persons arrested in the paper leak scam of police recruitment are still behind the bars. But those who sold the papers are sitting at the government secretariat and police headquarters. We are determined to get it probed through a commission of inquiry,” declared Agnihotri.
The Congress on return to power will review all decisions taken by the Thakur’s government in the past six months. Agnihotri added that more than Rs 500 crore spent on rallies and public events of Thakur, central ministers, and state cabinet ministers will be recovered from the BJP.
What does Congress charge sheet contain?
The Congress charge sheet broadly refers to financial mismanagement that has raised the state debt to Rs 62,000 crore. It also covered alleged mafia raj in Himachal, inflation, policy of outsourcing turning into a source of commission, irregularities in purchase of pipes by Jal Shakti Department, illicit felling, and illegal mining and non-fulfillment of the poll promises.
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Chairman, Congress Campaign Committee, said the BJP government was being remote-controlled by the Centre. He said those responsible for irregularities will not be spared, be it any department.
Congress has no moral authority: BJP
Earlier in the day, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said the Congress has no moral authority to present a charge sheet against the ruling BJP in Himachal.
Thakur expressed confidence that the BJP, which he said is going to the polls with clean track record on corruption and outstanding performance, will form the next government.
“Double engine ki gaadi, BJP sang Pahadi (The double engine vehicle is backed by Pahadis),” said Thakur in a new slogan.
The ‘double engine’ government is a term used by the BJP to refer to the case where the governments in the state and centre are both run by the BJP. The synergy of the same party’s governments, according to the double engine belief, refers to two-fold developmental growth.
Himachal is set to go to polls in November. Voting will be held on November 12 and results will be declared on December 8.
