LoP Jai Ram Thakur slams Himachal govt for embarrassment in court cases

Shimla, Oct 3 (IANS) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, accusing it of repeatedly facing embarrassment in courts over decisions being declared unconstitutional. 

During his visit to Hamirpur, Thakur attended a short-term extension training programme for party workers, along with senior party functionaries and associates. 

In a statement issued from Hamirpur, LoP Thakur asked why the state government's decisions, policies and regulations were repeatedly being challenged and struck down by courts, despite the Chief Minister reportedly presenting himself as a highly knowledgeable legal expert. 

"Why does the government repeatedly face embarrassment in court despite the Chief Minister's claims of being well-versed in law and having a team of friends and advisers around him? Why are the rules, laws, policies and decisions made by his government repeatedly being declared unconstitutional? What is his intention?" the Leader of Opposition asked. 

He said that under the slogan of 'Vyavastha Parivartan' (systemic transformation), the Chief Minister (Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu) was creating a record of unconstitutional rules, policies and decisions. Thakur welcomed the High Court's decision to quash the government's decision to introduce a job trainee system for the recruitment of medical officers, describing it as unconstitutional. 

He added that the Chief Minister should understand that statements made at public rallies could not prevail in a court of law. 

LoP Thakur alleged the state government had repeatedly ignored warnings from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the legal validity of certain legislation introduced in the State Assembly.

He claimed that whenever the Chief Minister brought what he described as inappropriate legislation driven by political vendetta and hostility, the BJP had warned that such laws would not withstand judicial scrutiny. 

According to LoP Thakur, the BJP had advised the state government to withdraw such legislation to preserve the dignity of the Assembly. 

However, he alleged, the state government's numerical strength and stubbornness had undermined the dignity of the House. 

Referring to the job trainee policy, LoP Thakur said that the BJP had opposed the move, saying that it would adversely affect the future of young people. 

He also alleged that the state government ignored the party's objections even when doctors recruited through an already ongoing recruitment process were also brought under the job trainee system. 

He asked why the Chief Minister had failed to heed these concerns, alleging that the state government was acting out of arrogance. 

The former Chief Minister also criticised the state government's handling of the healthcare sector, alleging that it was protecting misinformation and disorder under the pretext of systemic transformation. 

He said that healthcare was directly connected to people's lives and accused the state government of neglecting the sector, thereby putting the lives of residents at risk.

--IANS

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