Himachal: BJP announces to boycott revenue minister

Hindustan Times

13 hours ago

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, announced a boycott of Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur along with BJP legislators staged walkout from assembly during the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha monsoon session, in Shimla on Tuesday. (Deepak Sansta/ HT)
As part of the boycott, the saffron party Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have decided not to ask any questions or listen to his statements inside the House of Jagat Singh Negi, who holds portfolios of Revenue, Tribal affairs and Horticulture. The ruckus was triggered by remarks made by Negi during the recent disaster in Seraj, which the BJP alleged were 'insensitive and derogatory.'
The BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raised the matter in the House, saying the minister had made 'mocking and inappropriate' comments at a time when people were in distress due to the disaster.
'The minister should not have made such remarks during this time of crisis. The opposition has decided that we will not ask him any questions and whenever he speaks, we will walk out of the House,' Sharma told media persons outside the Vidhan Sabha.
Leader of Opposition and former chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, said, 'The opposition would not tolerate what he called the minister's 'nonsense.'
'The opposition cannot listen to the rubbish of the minister. That is why we staged a walkout,' Thakur said, accusing Negi of hurting the sentiments of the disaster-affected people.
The protests intensified after Minister Jagat Singh Negi hit back at the BJP on the floor of the House, accusing the opposition of double standards.
'The BJP talks of the dignity of the House but indulges in vote theft and insulted the national flag in Seraj. The insult in Seraj was not of me but of the Tricolour. The opposition is breaking democratic traditions and using unparliamentary language. I am not afraid of their threats. I will continue to respond on the basis of the Constitution and truth. Whether the opposition wants to listen or not, that is their choice—but the opposition will be answered with a stone for every brick,' Negi while talking to media persons outside the assembly.
The BJP MLAs shouted slogans and staged repeated walkouts, even as the treasury benches accused them of running away from debate.
While speaking to media, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu strongly defended his minister saying 'The BJP is targeting Jagat Singh Negi only because he speaks the truth. He is one of the most effective ministers in the cabinet'.
Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Sukhu added, 'Walking out three or four times in an hour shows how directionless the opposition has become. This only shows their level of frustration. The BJP is divided into five factions, which is clearly visible inside the House today. They are not interested in discussions, only in creating headlines and protecting their political chair.'