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BJP moves privilege motion against CM Sukhu; HP govt cracks down on corrupt officials
Leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur submits notice under Rule 75 alleging false statements; chief minister hits back during Question Hour, orders removal of officers with ‘doubtful integrity’ from key posts.
The Himachal Pradesh assembly witnessed high drama on Wednesday as the second phase of the budget session resumed with the opposition BJP moving a privilege motion against chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for allegedly misleading the House. The CM countered the offensive by announcing a crackdown on bureaucratic corruption.
BJP legislators, led by leader of opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur, staged a protest outside the assembly in the morning before the session began. Raising slogans against the chief minister for making “habitual false statements”, the BJP Legislature Party marched to Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania’s chamber.
By 11.15am, the opposition formally submitted a notice for a privilege motion against the CM under Rule 75. A privilege motion under Rule 75 is invoked when a member believes another member (or minister) has committed a breach of privilege of the House or its members, usually by providing false or distorted information.
Thakur alleged that the government is entering its fourth year without fulfilling budgetary promises, terming Sukhu’s statements a direct “breach of legislative sanctity”.
“We are not just making allegations; we have compiled a record of instances where the House was misled. Such actions cannot be justified by a government that has had ample time to perform,” he said.
The atmosphere remained charged as the House moved into Question Hour. In a swift move to assert administrative control, Sukhu announced that his government has begun removing officials with doubtful integrity from sensitive and key government posts.
Responding to a query by Una BJP MLA Satpal Singh Satti, Sukhu told the assembly that he believes in action over mere assurances and that officials involved in corruption are being directly removed.
According to government data, three officials on the ODI list, tehsildar Vijay Kumar Rai, OSD Yudhvir Singh Thakur, and Rai Bahadur Singh, were serving on extension or re-employment. Satti questioned why these officials were retained and whether the ODI list had been shared with the Himachal Pradesh high court.
While the chief minister said he was unaware of any high court request, he confirmed that two officials, Mahender Lal, senior superintendent in the revenue department, and Rai Bahadur Singh, had recently been excluded from the category and reiterated that all those remaining on the list would be stripped of key postings.
This move is seen as a strategic rebuttal to the BJP’s narrative, allowing the CM to frame his administration around a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption.
