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‘Saw drone above my house,’ claims ex-CM Thakur. Himachal chief minister Sukhwinder Sukhu replies
Former chief minister Jairam Thakur on Friday alleged that while leaving for the Assembly, he “spotted a drone above his house.”
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday refuted allegations made by state Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Jairam Thakur, who claimed he saw a “drone above his house” and accused the state government of “violating privacy.” Sukhu said that if such activities occur, the government is ready to investigate.
“Why would we fly drones above his house? He was a former CM... I have also assured him that if such things have happened, we will investigate this, but he is creating an issue out of this... They are left with no issues,” Sukhu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Earlier in the day, former chief minister Thakur in the Himachal Pradesh assembly alleged that while leaving for the House proceedings, he spotted a drone above his house. He accused the government of “already tapping phones” and now using drones for surveillance.
“When I was leaving for the assembly today, I saw a drone above my house. This government is violating privacy. Phones are already being tapped, and now drones are also being used for surveillance... The CM should have answered on this but he was silent on this,” Jairam Thakur said.
BJP staged walkout in Assembly
On Thursday, the BJP staged a walkout in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, accusing the state government of auctioning liquor vends below the reserve price in five excise districts, news agency PTI reported.
In response to a question from BJP's Randhir Sharma, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that the state government earned ₹485.18 crore from its auction-cum-tender policy, compared to ₹665.42 crore collected during the BJP’s five-year tenure. Sukhu said that the auctions were conducted with full transparency.
Sharma, however, claimed that the liquor vends were auctioned below the reserve price in Shimla, Kangra, Chamba, Nurpur, and Una, alleging a scam. He called for a judicial inquiry and the re-auction of the vends. Sukhu countered that his government has been transparent since taking office, and criticized the BJP for not holding auctions for four years, opting instead to renew licenses, which resulted in lost revenue.
Sukhu explained that the government adopted an online auction process without bias, holding seven auctions in Nurpur and Una, nine in Shimla, eight in Kangra, and six in Chamba this financial year. Higher revenue isanticipated.
Sharma contested the CM's response, claiming that revenue was ₹100 crore less and accusing vendors of charging above the MRP. He also demanded action against defaulters.
Unhappy with Sukhu’s reply, BJP members chanted slogans and left the Assembly. Later, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the Chief Minister of misleading the house, asserting that the BJP government’s auctions had generated 11 to 12 per cent more revenue and that subsequent renewal included a 12 per cent increase in reserve prices.
