Leader of Opposition and former BJP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday accused the Congress government in the state of violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Addressing media persons, Thakur said that the BJP has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer in this regard, calling for strict action on the issue.

“We have demanded an immediate halt to the distribution of forms by the state government for the ‘Indira Gandhi Payari Behna Sukh Samriddhi Samman Yojana’, which promises Rs 1,500 to women beneficiaries,” he said.

Despite the Model Code of Conduct in force, the forms are being filled, he rued.

Thakur attacked the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government for cheating women as they had done during the Vidhan Sabha elections.

He alleged that during the assembly elections, Congress leaders promised to give Rs 1,500 to every woman in the state, aged 18-60 years, in the first cabinet meeting. However, the state government has now introduced several riders to reduce the number of eligible women for the scheme.

“After the formation of the government, many cabinet meetings were held in the last 14 months. The guarantee promised to the women was conveniently forgotten. However, as soon as it was learnt that the Model Code of Conduct would be implemented within a week, the forms were being filled in haste without the provisions in the budget. This time the plans of Congress to mislead the people of the state will not succeed,” he said.

This is a cruel joke on the women of the state as the Sukhu-led government has broken all records of lying, he charged.

“With the kind of political turmoil that the Congress government is witnessing it is time for them to undergo self-introspection,” he asserted.

“The Congress government has not only lost its popularity, it also lost majority which became clear after their six MLAs cross-voted in favour of BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan,” he said, adding that the party has lost its moral right to remain in power.

He further said that after the code of conduct was imposed, on the instructions of the state government, the administration tore the posters and banners of Lord Ram’s temple built in Ayodhya Dham.

“There is no mention of any party or politician in these posters and banners. However, the administration is still tearing the posters and banners of Ram Mandir, whereas it is not touching the posters of the Congress leaders and government,” he charged.

Cautioning the officers to work within the ambit of law and not cross the limits, he said, “Don’t connect your future with the future of this government.”

The Leader of Opposition said that this government insulted its own elected representatives.

“The state government has allotted Cabinet ranks to unelected people and they are running the government, while the elected public representatives are being humiliated. Party workers, leaders, officials, MLAs, and ministers are disgruntled and raising their voices for being ignored. There was so much anger amongst the Congress MLAs, that six MLAs rebelled and voted in favour of the BJP candidate,” he said.

Taking a dig at the government, he claimed that the days of the Congress party to remain in power is numbered as it has no future in the state, he claimed.

“It’s too late now. The country stands with the Prime Minister. Big, powerful, and popular leaders are joining BJP today,” Jai Ram Thakur said.