Himachal CM accuses BJP of maligning his image over student protest videos

Shimla, Oct 8 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday accused the BJP of attempting to malign his image and tarnish his reputation through social media posts.

Sukhu was referring to an FIR registered against a group of college students who had alleged mismanagement at an event organised by the Animal Husbandry Department on October 4. The students claimed they were not served food on time and raised slogans: "Sukhu ne bulaya hai, bhookhe he tadpaya hai, dhokha hai, janta se dhokha hai." Several videos of the incident surfaced online, with claims that attendees were made to sit in the scorching heat without food.

Sukhu said the students had gone uninvited to the venue for lunch and that the slogans were raised by ABVP supporters with the sole purpose of making the video. He added that some media outlets, including papers and TV channels, reported on the FIR and the student protests based on social media posts without verifying who was behind the incident.

"The FIR has been registered to identify the students who raised the slogans and uncover their political affiliation," the chief minister said.

The opposition BJP slammed the Congress government, accusing it of "crossing all limits." Bilaspur MLA Trilok Jamwal on Tuesday stated that children were invited to the programme and that food had been arranged through some mechanism. He further claimed that the girls were made to sit in the sun for hours waiting for food, and when they protested, a case was filed against them.

However, the police maintained that some workers from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had attended the event uninvited with the intention of creating a ruckus.

Speaking to the media, the chief minister said, "It was a mega function in which around 15,000 milk producers from various areas of the state and Kamdhenu Society were given an incentive of Rs 3, and Rs 38 crore was credited to their accounts through DBT (Direct Bank Transfer)." He added, "The BJP has proved that it is not only anti-horticulturists and anti-farmers but also anti-animal husbandry." PTI BPL HIG HIG