Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth and Sports Affair Anurag Thakur on Thursday slammed the Congress government for being eager to take credit for the BJP’s development work in the state.

“Chief Minister Sukhu’s selective memory seems to be failing him as he spreads misinformation and propaganda regarding the establishment of the Hamirpur Medical College,” said Thakur, while addressing a series of public meetings in Sujanpur and Dharampur on Thursday.

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“It’s evident that Sukhu is eager to claim credit for the development work undertaken by the BJP. Instead of engaging in such blatant falsehoods, he should focus on delivering results for the people during his tenure. With his administration failing to fulfill any of its promises over the past 16 months, Sukhu’s attempts to appropriate BJP’s accomplishments ring hollow and reflect poorly on his leadership,” he said.

“The Congress is set to face a significant defeat in the upcoming Hamirpur Lok Sabha election on June 4,” claimed Thakur, adding that Sukhu is acutely aware of this reality.

“As their credibility continues to plummet and their support base wanes, the Congress party has resorted to falsehoods as a desperate tactic. Today, they fabricate lies about medical colleges and railways, and on June 4, they will  likely cry foul over EVMs,” he charged.

He said that with the support of the public, BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi facilitated the approval and initiation of the medical college project in Jolsappad.

“We secured the land, laid the foundation stone, and commenced construction. We will also be the ones to inaugurate it. However, the Chief Minister’s penchant for falsehoods has led him to spread misinformation about the medical college,” he asserted.

“It was under the leadership of the then Union Minister Health J P Nadda in 2015, the Modi government approved the establishment of the medical college in Jolsappad, allocating a budget of Rs 174 crore for its commencement. However, the then state Congress government neglected the project for 2.5 years, failing to even provide the necessary land. Upon the formation of the BJP government in 2017, under the leadership of Jai Ram Thakur in the state, the land was promptly allocated, paving the way for further progress,” he said.

Following the acquisition of land and requisite approvals from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the foundation stone for Dr. Radhakrishnan Medical College, Hamirpur, was laid on June 6, 2018, he maintained, adding that the Government of India has now disbursed its entire share, amounting to 90 per cent of the original project cost, totalling Rs 170.10 crore.

Dr Radhakrishnan Medical College is operational today, boasting an intake capacity of 120 MBBS seats since the academic session 2018-19, he added.

Sukhu should cease his continuous dissemination of falsehoods regarding Hamirpur Medical College, he cautioned.

“The Congress has consistently obstructed our developmental initiatives in Himachal Pradesh, but the public is well aware of this and will respond fittingly in the upcoming elections,” said Thakur.