Himachal Pradesh Congress and BJP on Sunday traded barbs over the organisation of function on the completion of four years of BJP government in the state with the former announcing to celebrate it as black day.
State Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore said the BJP government was misusing government machinery for the rally as HRTC buses were being diverted to ferry party workers for the event which is causing a shortage of routes in rural areas.
The state government had even directed the officials and panchayat representatives to gather people for the rally which was shameful, he said.
He also termed the announcement of Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari of sanctioning 13 ropeways worth Rs 5,644 crore to the state as a mere poll promise and questioned as to what happened to the earlier promise of 59 national highways.
He also announced to celebrate 27 December as black day and added he along with the Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri will submit a memorandum against the wasteful expenditure by the BJP government to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, on the other hand, said Congress during its regime in 2017 had organised such an event at Paddal Ground in Mandi in which party leader Rahul Gandhi had participated.
“The event was organised just seven days before the announcement of the model of code in the state in which HRTC buses were used to ferry people to the venue. In addition, the Congress government didn’t clear the bill, amounting to Rs 75 lakh and it was cleared by the BJP government when we came to power,” he added.
Thakur cautioned the Congress leaders to use caution while making such accusations against the BJP government and stated that they will be ashamed if he opens the list of wrongdoings committed by them during their tenure.