Winter Session Turns Stormy in Dharamshala
The winter session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on Friday as Bharatiya Janata Party legislators created massive uproar during the Question Hour proceedings. The disruption occurred on the third day of the session being held in Tapovan, Dharamshala, turning the house into a battleground of political ideologies.
Opposition Demands Immediate Hearing
As proceedings began at 11 am sharp, leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur immediately sought permission from Speaker Kuldeep Pathania to raise what he described as an important issue. When the Speaker asked him to wait until the Question Hour concluded, all BJP MLAs rose from their seats simultaneously and began shouting slogans against revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi.
The protest targeted Negi for his remarks made a day earlier against Thakur, where the revenue minister had allegedly stated that Jai Ram Thakur had ruined the state during his tenure as chief minister. The BJP members expressed their anger through powerful slogans that echoed through the assembly hall.
Protest Escalates with Slogans and Songs
The protesting BJP members clapped rhythmically and raised several provocative slogans including Tanashahi nahin chalegi (Dictatorship will not be tolerated) and Jo Hitler ki chaal chalega, wo Hitler ki maut marega (One who behaves like Hitler will die like him). Another slogan directly targeted Congress leadership: Sonia Gandhi ji ko bhejo taar, Negi ko mantrimandal se bahar (Send a message to Sonia Gandhi: Remove Negi from the cabinet).
At one particularly dramatic moment, the opposition members sang in unison while pointing towards Minister Negi: Hayo Negiya tera syapa pai gya. The protest continued despite repeated requests from Speaker Pathania asking them to sit down and assuring Thakur that he would get the opportunity to speak after the Question Hour.
As the Question Hour continued despite the ruckus, BJP members walked to the well of the House and intensified their protest there. The situation became so chaotic that Speaker Pathania was forced to adjourn the House at 11:25 am for 10 minutes to restore order.
Background of the Conflict
The current political storm has its roots in Thursday's discussions about delays in panchayat polls. During that session, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi had launched a sharp attack on the opposition and specifically blamed Jai Ram Thakur for the financial crisis facing the state. Negi had stated that Thakur had destroyed the state's economy during his chief ministerial tenure.
On Friday, the BJP members showed their displeasure by boycotting the entire Question Hour and not asking their listed questions. They only returned to the House when the Zero Hour began, showing their strategic protest timing.
Zero Hour Discussions and Demands
During the Zero Hour, leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur formally demanded that the revenue minister should apologize for his remarks. He also requested the Speaker to expunge all statements made by Negi against the RSS during Thursday's proceedings.
Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan responded by saying that BJP members should not take criticism personally. He pointed out that the BJP regularly criticizes Congress, which led India to freedom, so there should be no objection if the revenue minister criticized RSS.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu joined the discussion, advising BJP members not to take everything personally and to cooperate in running the House smoothly. Concluding the heated discussion, Speaker Pathania told the House that the statements, which were not desirable and not part of the issue being discussed, would be expunged from records.
Parallel Protests Before Session
Before the assembly session even began, both Congress and BJP MLAs held separate protests in the Vidhan Sabha premises. Congress MLAs raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led central government, accusing it of withholding financial assistance to the hill state. They alleged that despite the announcement of a 1,500-crore disaster relief package, the Centre had not released the funds.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs protested against the state government, labeling it as anti-employee. They alleged delays in releasing gratuity to retired employees and irregular payment of medical allowances, highlighting different aspects of governance issues affecting the state.
Resolution for Cow Shelters
Amid the political turmoil, BJP MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhary introduced a resolution for establishing cow shelters across the state to curb the stray cattle menace. During his address, Chaudhary revealed alarming statistics: there are 4.5 lakh stray cattle in the state, and hundreds of people have died due to cattle-related accidents.
He emphasized the urgent need to formulate a policy to curb the cattle menace and suggested that at least one gaushala should be established in each assembly constituency. Congress MLA Kishori Lal and BJP MLA Reena Kashyap supported the cause by demanding strict laws against owners who abandon their cattle.
BJP MLA Janak Raj proposed setting up an animal helpline to help abandoned animals. Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar acknowledged that cattle menace is a serious problem requiring community participation. He informed the house that there are 15 government cow shelters and 260 private cow shelters currently operating in the state.
The minister added that panchayats are authorized to fine owners who abandon their animals, but such action is rarely taken by village pradhans, indicating implementation gaps in existing regulations.
