“Absolutely false”: Himachal LoP Jai Ram Thakur rejects CM’s allegation of BJP MLAs disrespecting national anthem

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 22 (ANI): The Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Saturday, rejecting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's allegation that BJP legislators had disrespected the national anthem during the first day of the Monsoon Session and accusing the Congress government of deliberately delaying elections to key Panchayati Raj bodies in the state.
Thakur termed the Chief Minister's allegation of disrespecting the national anthem "completely false" and said all BJP MLAs had stood in the prescribed attention position when the anthem was played in the Assembly on Friday.
"Absolutely false, completely false. When the national anthem started in the Assembly yesterday, all opposition members stood in the attention position, and the entire national anthem was sung," Thakur said.
He said BJP members raised the issue of Vande Mataram only after the national anthem had concluded, and accused the Chief Minister and Congress leaders of spreading misinformation.
Thakur demanded that the complete video recording of the proceedings, particularly the national anthem, be made available to all MLAs.
"If nothing improper has been done, then this amounts to a matter of contempt against the Chief Minister," he said, adding that the BJP would raise the issue before Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania.
The BJP leader also criticised the government for not beginning the Monsoon Session with Vande Mataram. Referring to recent developments at the national level, he said the national song should have been given importance in the Assembly.
Thakur alleged that the Congress Working Committee had decided that Vande Mataram would be sung only in a limited manner and accused the Congress of lacking respect and reverence for the national song.
He maintained that the Congress Working Committee could not decide whether Vande Mataram should be sung in the Assembly, asserting that the matter had to be governed by the law, parliamentary traditions and the authority of the House.
On the Panchayati Raj institutions, Thakur accused the state government of "strangling democracy" by delaying the elections of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of elected local bodies.
He alleged that the government had initially attempted to delay the Panchayati Raj elections, which were eventually held following intervention by the High Court and Supreme Court.
According to Thakur, the entire election process, including the election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, should have been completed by May 31 in the spirit of the Supreme Court's directions.
He claimed that nearly three months after the Panchayat election results were declared, the election of the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Shimla Zila Parishad had still not been conducted.
Thakur said the election was scheduled for September 10 only after intervention by the High Court.
He also criticised the Shimla Deputy Commissioner for allegedly citing the ongoing Assembly session as a reason for not conducting the election.
"It appears as if the Deputy Commissioner's office has become a Congress committee office," Thakur alleged.
He said the High Court had taken serious note of the matter and directed the Chief Secretary and other officials to ensure that the elections were conducted.
Thakur further pointed out that the elections for chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Hamirpur Block Development Committee were also pending.
"Today's protest is against the attempt to undermine democracy. Stop strangling democracy," the Leader of Opposition said. (ANI)