In a fiery press conference held in Shimla, Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched a sharp offensive against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, accusing it of pursuing an “anti-Sanatan” agenda and systematically targeting the Hindu community in the state.
Accompanied by State BJP President Rajiv Bindal, Thakur alleged that under the Congress rule, incidents against Hindus have seen a spike. He claimed that Chief Minister Sukhu’s previous remarks about defeating a party representing the ideology of 97% Hindus have translated into government policy, fostering an atmosphere of religious bias.
Referring to the recent case in Paonta Sahib, where a Hindu girl went missing, Thakur alleged it to be a case of ‘love jihad’. He accused the police of delaying the filing of an FIR despite repeated pleas from the victim’s family. “Only after widespread public protest did the administration act and recover the girl,” Thakur claimed.
Instead of addressing public concerns, Thakur said, the government retaliated politically by slapping BNS Section 109 charges against senior BJP leaders, including Dr Rajiv Bindal and former minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary, calling these “false and fabricated cases” aimed at silencing opposition voices.
Thakur also cited other incidents as proof of alleged anti-Hindu bias, including:
- Manohar murder case (Chamba): Opposition leaders were barred from visiting the crime site.
- Cow slaughter incident (Nahan): A youth from Saharanpur allegedly killed a cow and posted images on social media, but no action was taken.
- Illegal mosque construction (Sanjauli): Despite national uproar, the Congress government remained silent.
He warned that these instances reflect a “deliberate anti-Sanatan mindset” and that unless the “fabricated cases” against BJP leaders are withdrawn, the party will launch a massive statewide agitation.
Echoing Thakur’s concerns, BJP state chief Rajiv Bindal accused the government of vendetta politics and failing to uphold law and order, focusing instead on silencing dissent.
The BJP leadership demanded an immediate rollback of these cases and warned of intensified protests across Himachal Pradesh if their demands remain unmet.
The Congress government has not yet issued a formal response to these allegations.