Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 24 : Former Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Congress MLA Sanjay Awasthi on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a press conference and accused the party of misleading the public regarding the funding of the Bilaspur railway project.
Addressing the media in Shimla, Awasthi criticized the BJP for what he called "baseless and irresponsible statements" regarding financial allocations in the state.
Awasthi countered the BJP's claims that the Bilaspur railway project was being funded by the central government, asserting that the money being utilized was, in fact, from the Himachal Pradesh government's budget. He specifically called out Bilaspur's BJP MLA Trilok Jamwal for making what he termed a "ridiculous" statement about financial transfers related to the project.
"The opposition is deliberately misleading the people of Himachal. The Rs 500 crore they are talking about is money from the state government, which was lying unutilized in banks. The process of land acquisition was completed, and the state government decided to use this unutilized amount for public welfare," Awasthi stated.
He questioned the motives behind BJP leaders comments, hinting at a possible personal interest in the matter.
"I want to ask my colleagues in the opposition, why this sudden concern? Was there some personal stake in keeping this money in the bank?" he questioned
Awasthi also took a jibe at the BJP for its failure to secure adequate central aid for the state, particularly in times of disaster. He accused BJP leaders of indulging in mere politicking while failing to bring special budgetary allocations or relief funds from the Centre.
"In the last two years, the BJP has been making misleading statements to misguide the people of Himachal. They failed to secure disaster relief from the Centre, nor did they bring any special schemes or funds for our state in the Union Budget," he said.
The Congress MLA urged the opposition to focus on real issues, such as the pending dues under the New Pension Scheme (NPS). "Instead of making baseless claims, the opposition should work towards getting back the Rs 9,200 crore that the Centre owes Himachal Pradesh under NPS," he added.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister's recent trip to the Maldives was a personal visit, and BJP leader Anurag Thakur should refrain from commenting on it, said Congress MLA Sanjay Awasthi.
He emphasized that Thakur should instead focus on issues related to the development of Himachal Pradesh.
"The Chief Minister's foreign visit was personal, and Anurag Ji should avoid making statements about it. Many matters in life are personal, and there is no need for concern over this. However, what truly requires attention is securing support from the central government for Himachal Pradesh," Awasthi remarked.
Awasthi also defended Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's financial policies, stating that the government was working towards making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant. "Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, we are working to strengthen the state's economy so that Himachal emerges as a leading economic power in the country," he said.
He further called on BJP leaders to ensure Himachal Pradesh gets its due share from the central government. "I urge my opposition colleagues to use their influence in Delhi to secure much-needed financial assistance for Himachal rather than engaging in political theatrics," Awasthi added.
On the ongoing CID investigation into the alleged information leak in the "Samosa Case," Awasthi declined to comment, stating that the matter was under police jurisdiction. "I do not have the details. The CID or local police will be able to provide more information on this issue," he said.
Awasthi also extended congratulations to Rajni Patil on her appointment as the new Congress in-charge for Himachal Pradesh, expressing confidence that the party's organizational restructuring would be completed soon.
With Himachal Pradesh facing economic challenges and opposition criticism mounting, the political battle between Congress and BJP continues to intensify.