The ‘Gudia’ gangrape and murder case that rocked the state leading to worst public outburst in July month is likely to raise storm in the four-day Monsoon session of Himachal Pradesh state assembly, beginning 22 August.

The opposition BJP is all set to corner the government on deteriorating law and order situation with ‘Gudia’ case coming handy in this last session of the assembly in present regime.  (The assembly polls are due in Himachal by the end of this year).

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While the state government has maintained that it had handed over the investigation of ‘Gudia’ case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on public demand, the issue (that snowballed into major controversy at the fag end of Congress regime) has come handy for BJP.

“Ghastly crime apart, the Gudia case investigation by the state Police has shown Police and government in poor light, as there has been an effort to shelter the real culprits. The custodial death of one of accused in the case is another big question mark on the Police intentions. The government will have to answer all this, and many other related issues on deteriorating law and order situation in HP,” chief whip of BJP Legislature Party, Suresh Bhardwaj told The Statesman.

He said the BJP Legislature Party will meet on 21 August to chalk out the floor strategy.

“We are certainly going to take up the overall failure of state machinery in Congress tenure. It is a government of tired and retired people, which is functioning at the whims and fancies of some officers. Even the chief minister is unaware of all what has been happening under him,” said Bhardwaj.

Bhardwaj, who is Shimla MLA, said it was strange that the chief minister is misguided by officers even on issues which are pending in court for decision. He referred to the decision on withdrawl of benefits of ex-servicemen in government jobs in this regard, which the government had to later roll back. “The promise to have policy for outsourced employees is another, on which the government is now caught on wrong foot,” he said.

The loss due to natural calamities in Himachal, causalities due to massive landslide in Mandi that swept away two moving buses, killing 46 passengers, ill maintenance of roads in rains- all these issues will also come up for discussion by BJP.

It is pertinent to mention that in view of the repeated deadlock in the state assembly sessions over the last four and a half years with BJP often indulging in direct attack against chief minister on corruption issue, the state assembly speaker had been holding the all party meeting before every session—to ensure that the session runs cordially.

“We haven’t received any information on such a meeting this time, so far,” said BJP leader, Suresh Bhardwaj.