The Himachal Pradesh government repealed the Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Act, 2021 by passing a Bill in the state Legislative Assembly by voice vote on Monday amid fierce protest by the Opposition BJP.
The Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Act, 2021 was brought by the previous BJP state government.
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The BJP, protesting against the repeal of the Act, created a ruckus in the House. Later the entire Opposition staged a walkout from the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan presented the Bill to repeal the Act in the House.
Responding to the discussion on the Bill, Chauhan said the previous BJP government had misused government funds in the name of ‘Loktantra Prahari Samman’ to give benefits to their favourites.
“Our government is not bound to continue the wrong done by the previous government. That is why our government has decided to repeal this law,” he said.
Blaming the BJP, Chauhan said that the opposition should be ashamed of having misused the government funds, as no one was sent to jail as a punishment during an emergency, instead they were kept in jail as a precautionary measure.
He said that the previous government had spent more than Rs. 3.43 crore in the name of ‘Loktantra Prahari Samman’.
After the Emergency, the previous state government under Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal as Chief Ministers had remained in power twice each in the state, so why did they not think about the Loktantra Praharis.
Earlier, taking part in the discussion on the Bill brought to repeal the Act, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that if the government believes in the democratic system, then they should reconsider abolishing this Act.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the previous government had killed democracy by bringing this Act and that such an honour should be given, only to the freedom fighters and no one else.
BJP member Satpal Singh Satti said that his party, if voted to power, would double the amount given to the Loktantra Praharis and will also pay them the remaining amount with interest.
