Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said the government is too concerned about price rise but we have to understand that the Covid pandemic has led to increasing in inflation at the global level too.

Addressing a public meeting at Karsog in Mandi district, Thakur said Congress was misleading the general public on price rise as the inflation was at a higher level during their regime despite any pandemic like situation at that time.

“Congress is asking the BJP to list the achievements of the government but they should understand that it was not a small achievement that the party had been reduced for namesake only in the state and country.

Perhaps the Congress party doesn’t consider development works as achievements but our government is committed for the welfare of the poor,” he added.

Listing the achievements of the BJP government in the state, Thakur said the government was providing pensions to women after attaining 65 years of age.

The state government had also reduced the age limit for pension to senior citizens to 70 years, besides, the pension amount had also been doubled.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Ayushman Bharat scheme to provide free treatment facilities to lower-income groups, the BJP government started the Himcare scheme to provide the facility to leave out persons from its coverage.

He stated that everyone was saddened over the demise of former CM Virbhadra Singh but the Congress party leaders were seeking votes in the state as a tribute to him.

“Congress government considers scams as development works and the party even tried to politicize the Covid pandemic which was a crisis for the country and world.

When the Centre government came out with Covid vaccine, Congress leaders termed it as BJP’s vaccine,” the CM said.

He lashed the Congress leaders for accusing him of pursuing politics of regionalism and stated that Congress candidate Pratibha Singh sought votes from people in the Rampur assembly segment by terming it a fight of prestige as whole Mandi was watching these elections.

“I belong to the Seraj assembly segment and am a resident of the Mandi district so what’s wrong in mentioning Mandi name in speeches?

We are saying that the Mandi Lok Sabha seat which consists of Rampur and Kinnaur too, is ours as we have won polls in 2014 and 2019 and it will remain so,” he added.