BJP's agenda across the country is to silence Opposition: Rajasthan LoP Jully

Jaipur, Dec 9 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly Tikaram Jully on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma-led state government, alleging that the government has failed on every front, weakened welfare delivery, created unprecedented disorder and is deliberately shrinking democratic space for the Opposition.

Ahead of the government's second anniversary, Jully said the state had witnessed two years of confusion, contradictions and central dependence and claimed that the government has neither policy clarity nor internal cohesion.

"BJP's agenda is clear across the country, to silence the Opposition. Here, too, an attempt was made to shut off my microphone in assembly. Our questions are not answered. They do not want the Opposition to be heard," he told PTI, while accusing the government of systematically trying to muzzle dissent.

He alleged that the government had become the first in Rajasthan's recent legislative history to avoid a full discussion on law and order.

"Electricity, water supply and law and order, these are routine areas for debate, but this government avoids them every time. They do not want accountability," he claimed.

The BJP-led state government is completing two years in office on December 15.

Jully said Opposition MLAs were routinely excluded from government programmes.

"In many inaugurations, even defeated BJP candidates' names appear but elected Congress MLAs are kept out. Some ministers hold district meetings without inviting opposition legislators. At the same time, BJP office-bearers without any official mandate sit in such meetings freely," he alleged.

"This is administrative impropriety and political arrogance," he said.

Jully said that despite attempts to suppress the Opposition's voice, the government's performance has been exposed.

"They neither want to give space, nor respect, nor rights to the Opposition. But people can see all this," he said.

Jully said the policy direction of the government was reflected in its legislative conduct.

"In the legislative assembly, ministers are unable to answer questions. Most assurances given by the government are still pending. Budget announcements remain unfulfilled and suddenly, they now claim many are not feasible. Then why were they announced?" he said.

He accused the state government of being dependent on the Centre for decision-making.

"The chief minister frequently travelled to Delhi even for decisions. Even small decisions are delayed because the government waits for Delhi's approval. As a result, governance in Rajasthan has stalled," Jully alleged.

He said that the chief secretary and additional chief secretary to the chief minister were replaced, which was unprecedented and a sign of deeper conflict in the bureaucracy and government.

"These two posts are key to government functioning. Replacing both shows the state of confusion. For two years, the bureaucracy was split like the North and South Poles," he remarked.

It may be noted that Sudhansh Pant, who was the chief secretary, was transferred to Delhi last month. ACS Shikhar Agrawal was also transferred in a bureaucratic reshuffle a few days after the new chief secretary took over.

Jully alleged that welfare delivery had worsened sharply during the BJP rule.

"Social pensions are delayed, farmers are not receiving subsidies on time and crop-loss compensation has not reached the affected farmers. They are also struggling for fertiliser, power supply and procurement of crops on minimum support prices," he alleged.

"School buildings are collapsing. The government announced it would fill all posts in the education department within a year, but nothing was done." ' He accused the government of dismantling the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme launched under the former Congress government's rule.

"Under RGHS, hospitals are not being paid. Government hospitals are running out of essential medicines. This situation prevails across Rajasthan," he alleged.

Jully claimed that the state had seen a breakdown of policing and public safety, and said "people feel the rule of law has disappeared".

"Crime is rising because the government is missing," he said.

Responding to the government's claim of preventing paper leaks, Jully said the credit belonged to the previous Congress government.

"A strict law to prevent paper-leak law was made by the former Congress government. Heavy penalties and strong provisions were introduced by us. That is what stopped leaks in Rajasthan. In BJP-ruled Haryana, UP and MP, papers are still leaking. Even central recruitment agencies have reported leaks. So how is the BJP claiming victory here?" he asked.

On the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), Jully accused the government of misleading people. He asked the government to tell people how much budget they allocated and how much of it was spent on the project.

He said that the central government has said in a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha that it has no plan to declare ERCP a national project.

Jully also alleged the government was manipulating crime data.

"Ordinary people struggle to get FIRs registered. SDMs and tehsildars had to protest for the registration of cases. The free-FIR system introduced under Congress has vanished. Cases are not easily registered, data is suppressed and they claim crime has fallen," he said.

He alleged the rise of several criminal networks.

Citing the SI recruitment controversy, Jully said the government's position kept changing every few days.

"The government keeps changing its stand. They say one thing in the high court and something else in the supreme court. The SOG said something different; ministers gave different statements," he said.

Rejecting talks of factional divisions in Congress, Jully said, "We are united. No one has personal agendas. Everyone is working for the party and for Rajasthan." He said.

Jully said the chief minister must adopt a broader democratic approach.

"Sharma is not only the chief minister of the BJP. He is the chief minister of all, Congress and everyone else," he said. PTI SDA APL