E-Paper
HP bypolls: BJP, Congress spar over choppers, deities
Ahead of the HP bypolls, the Opposition says CM Jai Ram Thakur is a high-flying leader, removed from the ground situation due to his chopper use, also slam government for stopping nazarana to deities
With the bypolls to one parliamentary segment and three assembly segments in the hill-state being seen as precursors to the general assembly elections due next year, the Congress and BJP are engaged in an intense battle of political one-upmanship involving choppers and deities.
The Opposition has slammed chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur for using the state government’s chopper for travelling across the state. “Even if the CM has to go from one panchayat to the next, he uses a chopper. He is a high-flying leader, whose ear is not to the ground,” said leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.
Congress’ nominee from the Mandi parliamentary seat Pratibha Singh also took a dig at Thakur’s chopper use, saying, “The roads are full of potholes, which are not visible from the chopper.”
Pratibha, the widow of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh, is contesting polls for the fifth time. She has been elected to the Lok Sabha twice.
The chief minister, however, said, “I am not the first CM who is using a chopper. Did Congress leaders use bullock carts to travel? The CM has to travel the length and breadth of the state. In fact, Congress leaders would use the state chopper for their personal use as well.”
He was responding to questions at the Kangni Dhar helipad before flying to Fatehpur in a chopper hired by the BJP for the election campaign. On allegations of him not stepping out of the chopper, the CM said, “I have been travelling by road for the last eight days. I do not need the Congress’ permission to travel in a chopper.”
“The state government’s chopper is used for relief and rescue during calamities in tribal regions. We delivered Covid vaccines to remote regions that are still inaccessible by road be it Dodra-Kwar in Rohru or Barabanghal in Kangra. The chopper is also used to ferry people from snowbound regions in winters when the roads are blocked.”
Flak over stopping nazarana
The government’s decision to stop nazarana, an honorarium paid to deities visiting the famous Kullu Dussehra has also drawn flak from the Opposition.
There are 473 deities registered with Kullu Kardar Sangh, while the actual figure is around 600. During Dussehra around 281 deities congregate at the Dhalpur ground to participate in the historic Dussehra.
The deities pay homage to the presiding deity Lord Raghunath and the district administration traditionally pays around ₹6,000 to ₹ 2 lakh to each deity visiting the Dussehra. However, this time the government has not paid any nazarana to the deities.
Making the suspension of grants a poll issue, Agnihotri said, “Even the deities will not forgive the government this time.”
“We had been assured that nazarana will be given to the deities after the elections are over. We are also demanding uniformity in grants” said says Jai Chand, head, Kardar Sangh Kullu district.
“There were a lot of restrictions for Dussehra in Kullu, but that wasn’t the case for the Shivratri fair in Mandi. There was ban on business activities during Dussehra in Kullu “said Dhani Ram Chauhan, president, Pujari Kalyan Sangh.
