In a fresh political setback for the ruling Congress, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Vice President and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Neeraj Bharti resigned from his party post while launching a scathing attack on the Sukhu government through social media. Bharti is the son of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar.
Bharti's resignation came shortly after he was served a show-cause notice by HPCC chief Vinay Kumar on Thursday evening, seeking an explanation for his remarks on social media against the Congress government on various issues following the results of the recently held Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Body polls.
HPCC president Vinay Kumar accepted Bharti's resignation from the post of vice president, as per a communication issued on Friday.
Bharti, who has often criticised the Congress government through social media platforms, questioned the functioning of the government and blamed it for the party's poor performance in the local body polls. He described the governance model of the present government as a failure. He also indirectly referred to the outcome of the next Assembly elections, suggesting that the Congress could be reduced to just four seats in the 68-member House instead of the earlier estimate of eight seats. Though he did not name the party, the reference was clearly to the Congress.
Bharti further claimed that the party high command had recently asked senior ministers Dhani Ram Shandil and Chander Kumar, his father, to resign from the Cabinet and that their sons would be accommodated as chairpersons of boards or corporations.
“I had categorically told my father that if he wants to resign from the Cabinet, he can do that. But I will not take any post in this government,” Bharti wrote on social media. He alleged that the present government was humiliating party workers who had worked hard to bring the Congress to power in 2022.
“Only a few friends are calling the shots in this government, while others are being ignored. This is the first government where we cannot assure anyone that even a small task can be accomplished because we ourselves are not sure whether the government will entertain our requests or not,” he said.
Bharti also accused the Chief Minister of directing officers not to entertain requests from Congress leaders and to act only on instructions sent from his personal WhatsApp number.
“It is a hopeless and useless government that has misled people to come to power. I do not want to be a part of it,” he said. He added that the Congress would struggle to find booth-level workers during elections because the government had failed to meet the expectations of both party workers and the public.
Bharti said when the Congress formed the government, party workers never felt that their party had actually come to power because they were largely ignored. He said he had started pointing out such shortcomings within months of the government's formation, but no one tried to address or rectify them.
Bharti also levelled allegations of corruption in payments made to contractors for various development works.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while speaking to mediapersons after a World Environment Day function in Shimla, brushed aside questions about Neeraj Bharti's rebellion. “That's no issue,” he said.
Also read: HP Guv flags off mini marathon on World Environment Day
Follow us
