BJP members leave HP Assembly after party MLA's query remains unanswered

Shimla, Sep 2 (PTI) Chaos erupted in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday as BJP legislators accused the Congress government of withholding data about money allegedly given by Kangra cooperative bank to women self-help groups in Dehra constituency and left the House in protest.

The commotion began after the state government, in response to a query by BJP MLA from Hamirpur Ashish Sharma, said that "information is being collected".

Sharma sought information about the money given by Kangra State Cooperative Bank to women self-help groups in Dehra constituency between June 1 and July 10, 2024.

Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, represents Dehra constituency. She won the Dehra assembly bye-election held on July 10, 2024.

The opposition objected to the government's reply, saying the information was being deliberately withheld as Sharma had already received it under the RTI.

Speaker Kuldeep Pathania tried to pacify the opposition, saying that the information would be furnished to Sharma.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur said this is the first time in the history of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly that a question listed in the business has been abruptly removed.

"Yesterday, the Speaker assured that the reply would be furnished tomorrow (on Tuesday), but now it has again been stated that the information is still being collected," he said.

As the Speaker denied supplementary questions on Sharma's query, BJP MLAs resorted to sloganeering and left the House in protest.

Condemning the behaviour of opposition members, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the opposition is trying to make headlines and there is no justification for its protest.

Later, addressing the media outside the House, Thakur said BJP leaders protested and walked out of the House when the ruling Congress did not answer a question by the opposition party's MLA.

"When information could be obtained under RTI, why is it not given in the Vidhan Sabha? The information is being hidden. It is an insult not only to the opposition but also to the House. Our rights are being snatched away in the House," he said.

The government is hiding the information because it knows what the consequences will be if it comes out, he claimed.

The chief minister openly violated the Model Code of Conduct in the Dehra assembly by-election by giving Rs 50,000 each to 64 Mahila Mandals in the constituency and Rs 4,500 were deposited in the accounts of more than 1,000 women, Thakur alleged.

Sukhu misused his powers in the elections, the LoP charged, terming the alleged distribution of money a robbery of people's votes.

Thakur said the present Congress government is a government of friends and it cannot see anything beyond that. The CM is telling lies and misleading the public, he charged.

It is surprising to see the chief minister openly lying in the House again and again, he said. PTI BPL DIV DIV