Himachal Pradesh Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Thursday launched a strong attack on the BJP. He alleged that the party was marking the Emergency anniversary as a "Black Day" only to divert attention from current issues and its own failures.
Negi said the BJP had mastered the art of misleading people. He claimed the party was using the Emergency debate to cover up the shortcomings of the present government.
Commenting on the appointment of Nigam Bhandari as Congress district president in Kinnaur, Negi said the response to the decision had been encouraging. He added that even some of his political rivals had publicly welcomed the appointment.
"I have repeatedly maintained that elections should be held within the party. Party presidents and office-bearers should be chosen through a democratic electoral process rather than through nominations. In a large party, differences and issues are natural, and direct elections are the best way to resolve them," Negi said.
Turning to the BJP’s observance of the Emergency anniversary, Negi said the ruling party was trying to use the issue to hide its own failures. He said the BJP was observing Black Day to cover up its mistakes and create the impression that everything in the country was fine, while avoiding questions on governance.
Negi further alleged that democratic dissent was being increasingly suppressed in the country. He claimed that opposition leaders, journalists and activists were being targeted for speaking against the central government.
"If anyone speaks against the government or launches a democratic protest, it is not tolerated. Cases are filed, people are arrested, and journalists and media platforms face restrictions. This is a dangerous trend for democracy," he added.
Comparing the present political situation to the Emergency of 1975, Negi claimed that the country was now going through an “undeclared Emergency”.
On the arrest of opposition leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, Negi alleged that central agencies were being misused for political purposes.
He said the action taken against opposition leaders in recent years was an attack on democratic values and claimed that criticism of the government was being steadily silenced.
Negi also said inflation, rising fuel prices, unemployment and growing debt were among the biggest issues troubling ordinary people, but were not getting enough attention. He said people were facing serious economic difficulties, yet these concerns were being pushed aside while political narratives dominated public discussion.
The minister also criticised India’s foreign policy. He alleged that the country’s interests were not being protected strongly enough at the global level and said the leadership had failed to respond firmly in cases involving Indian citizens abroad.
Negi further accused the BJP of weakening democratic institutions and creating fear through repeated investigations and police action. He said FIRs and investigations had become routine and claimed that institutions were under pressure, leaving people afraid to speak openly.
Responding to BJP allegations that the Himachal Pradesh government was planning to hand over the historic Wildflower Hall property to private players and sell land belonging to the state agriculture university, Negi dismissed the charges outright.
Instead, he accused previous BJP governments of privatising valuable public assets in Himachal Pradesh. Negi said that during the BJP’s tenure, public assets worth crores were handed over to private entities in the name of development and investment. He also alleged that major public sector assets and hydroelectric projects were effectively passed on to private players. He said the present government had tried to reverse many such decisions, but the BJP continued to make baseless accusations.
He maintained that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh was committed to protecting public assets and ensuring that government property remained safeguarded in the larger public interest.
Negi said the opposition was raising these issues only for political reasons. He added that the state government would continue working for the welfare of the people while protecting Himachal Pradesh’s interests.
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