Nahan, Oct 13 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh BJP President Rajeev Bindal on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, alleging that nearly four years of its rule had been marked by corruption, nepotism, alleged mafia activities, financial distress and anti-people policies.  

Addressing a party workshop in the Nahan Assembly constituency, Bindal accused the government of pushing Himachal Pradesh into a debt trap and increasing the financial burden on ordinary citizens instead of accelerating development.

He alleged that the government had increased costs for poor and middle-class families through higher diesel prices, cement costs, electricity bills, transport fares, stamp duty and charges for various government services. He also raised concerns over alleged mafia activities and the management of the state's resources.

“The Congress government’s identity is no longer development, but taxes, closures and appeasement politics,” Bindal said, criticising decisions that he claimed had led to the closure of, or disrupted the functioning of, educational institutions, health centres, veterinary hospitals, sub-tehsils and patwar circles.

The state BJP chief also questioned the implementation of public welfare schemes, including school uniforms, Himcare and Sahara, alleging that shortcomings in their delivery had added to people's difficulties.

Bindal alleged that the government had borrowed approximately Rs 45,000 crore during its nearly four years in office but had failed to improve the state's financial position. He accused the government of prioritising political appointments and administrative expenditure over public welfare.

He questioned the expenditure on advisers, officers on special duty (OSDs), chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and other political appointees at a time when government employees, pensioners and unemployed youth were facing financial challenges.

The BJP leader also criticised the government over rising electricity bills, expensive public services, inadequate employment opportunities and concerns about the spread of drug abuse.

He alleged that residents were struggling to access adequate educational and healthcare facilities while the Congress government had failed to deliver on several of its election promises.

Questioning the Congress government's election guarantees, Bindal said thousands of women across the state were still waiting for the promised monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500. He argued that, based on the Congress party’s promise to provide the assistance from December 2022, the cumulative amount would be approximately Rs 75,000 per eligible woman over a period of nearly four years. He alleged that a large number of women had been denied the promised benefit.

The BJP leader also questioned the government's employment commitments, recalling the Congress promise of one lakh government jobs and five lakh employment opportunities. He said unemployed youth were demanding answers about the status of these commitments and asked the government to explain why electricity bills continued to rise despite its promise of free electricity.

The party workshop was followed by a rally to protest against Rahul Gandhi's silence in the Congress MP sexual harassment case.

--IANS