Shimla, July 30 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh’s former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, in an exclusive interview with IANS, has hit out at Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi for his remarks during the discussion on Budget 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha.

Thakur also took aim at the Sukhvinder Sukhu government of Himachal Pradesh, saying that the Congress regime has failed to fulfil promises it made to people before the Assembly elections.

Following are excerpts from the interview.

IANS: What is your reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s speech during the discussion on the Budget in Lok Sabha?

Jairam Thakur: I heard the statement and was truly astonished at how the Leader of the Opposition could engage in such low-level discourse on a crucial issue like the Budget. It would have been understandable if he had offered suggestions on the Budget, but he did not address the Budget at all. Instead, he spoke from a political standpoint, referencing Shiva’s procession and the Chakravyuh. Gandhi’s speech lacked substance; anyone who heard it would feel disappointed. He discussed the Budget on a very low level, and I would say it’s a misfortune for the country. He should have provided suggestions, data, and facts. But he had nothing, and he continued to speak politically. Anyone who heard his speech would be disheartened by the way he presented himself in the house.

IANS: With your efforts and the Central government’s assistance, a medical device park was set to be established in Himachal. However, the state government returned the funds. What is your take on this?

Jairam Thakur: It was a significant achievement that, despite there being only three medical device parks across the country, Himachal Pradesh participated in an open bidding process when our government was in power. We successfully competed and secured one of these parks, which was expected to receive an additional investment of Rs 300 crore. The Central government had allocated approximately Rs 100 crore in aid for this project. I am astonished that, despite the budget being allocated and the work being assigned, the state government is now returning the funds. They claim they will set their own conditions, but once the project is allocated, there is no room for discussion. This has caused a significant loss for the state. The reality is that the entire issue seems to revolve around money, with some Congress leaders having vested interests. The cancellation of this project is a great misfortune for the state.

IANS: The Congress made several promises during the Assembly elections which they are now failing to fulfil. Do you think people might take to the streets?

Jairam Thakur: One thing is clear: while the state government claims to be facing financial difficulties, development work should still be ongoing. However, for the past 18 months, all projects have come to a standstill. Employees are demanding their salaries on time, but the state government has no funds. The false guarantees made by the Congress have led to a truly unfortunate situation. Congress promised ten guarantees, yet none have been fulfilled. This will likely lead to a major crisis for Congress in the future. People are protesting on the streets against Congress, and we have seen the impact in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. BJP won all the Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh. Congress’s future looks bleak, and this is a certainty.

IANS: Do you think the Himachal government will last long?

Jairam Thakur: I would say that if the state’s interests are not being served and development work is halted, it will certainly be difficult for the government to remain in power. The public will eventually drive them out.

IANS: The Uttar Pradesh government has taken a significant decision on ‘love jihad’, extending the sentence from 10 years to life imprisonment. What is your view?

Jairam Thakur: This is a good decision considering the increasing number of incidents, especially in Uttar Pradesh and other states, where false claims ruin someone’s future. To prevent such incidents, stringent laws are required. If Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made this decision, I believe it is commendable.

IANS: The Congress alleges that you are trying to topple the state government and that several legislators are in contact with you. How do you respond?

Jairam Thakur: I want to repeatedly clarify that there has been no attempt from our side to topple the government. However, if such circumstances arise, we will certainly consider it. When we decide, Congress will face significant difficulties because it is divided into several factions internally. Congress is fragmented due to its own shortcomings. They blame us for the current situation, but we are not at fault. If they continue to blame us, it will only highlight Congress’s problematic future.

–IANS

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Jaipur, July 30 (IANS) Rajasthan Health Department on Tuesday issued an advisory after a child tested positive for the Chandipura virus in the Dungarpur district.

“One case was reported in Dungarpur. Instructions have been given to officials to work to control the disease by following the guidelines issued by the Health Department,” said Dr. Ravi Prakash Mathur, Director of the Health Department.

The advisory said that if any person is found to be suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) or is found positive, then he should be admitted to the nearest district hospital with immediate effect.

“In case of a positive case, instructions have been given to collect samples of people who came in contact with the patient and send them to Pune. If there is a pet in that house, then its sample should also be sent to the lab through the team of the Animal Husbandry Department,” the advisory added.

It said that in case of a suspected case, health workers should be sent for a house-to-house survey and instructions have been given to inform if any suspicious case is found.

“If any suspected patient is found during the survey, then instructions have been given to collect samples through the microbiology team of the nearby medical college and send it to Pune lab,” the advisory said.

The advisory also instructed to get fogging done to kill mosquitoes and flies around the border districts of Gujarat and to get DDT sprayed through the Municipal Corporation or Municipality.

“Instructions have been given to do the spraying around the houses in the colonies and around the cattle sheds. Instructions have also been given to destroy the weeds growing around the houses,” the advisory said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, 30 July (IANS) Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme 2.0 Portal and also disbursed Rs 100 crore stipends to apprentices through the DBT mode on Tuesday.

He said that these apprentices are undergoing training in various sectors such as IT, manufacturing, automobile, etc.

He said that the NATS 2.0 portal is expected to be utilised by a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeships.

“A significant number of young graduates and diploma holders will be supported in attaining employability skills, accompanied by a guaranteed monthly stipend,” the Union Minister said.

He said that NATS Portal 2.0 is a significant effort to democratise apprenticeship, bridge the skill gap, fulfil youth aspirations and make them future-ready.

He said that the portal launched will widen the reach of apprenticeship opportunities and help in the matchmaking of candidates and employers.

The minister also appealed to all educational institutions and industries to join the NATS 2.0 portal. “To ensure that the stipendiary benefits of NATS are delivered to intended apprentices in a time-bound, efficient, and transparent manner, the government has initiated the payment of its share of stipend directly to the apprentices’ bank accounts through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) mechanism in 2024,” he said.

He said that it is aimed to extend the use of the DBT system to provide government’s share of stipend to all beneficiaries of the scheme.

He said that the NEP 2020 aims to mainstream vocational education and eliminate barriers between different streams of education.

“It emphasises integrating general and vocational education to ensure vertical and horizontal mobility for students. In alignment with NEP 2020, draft guidelines have been issued by UGC and AICTE for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP),” the Union Minister said.

–IANS

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Srinagar, July 30 (IANS) The J&K Police have ordered a probe into the ‘mysterious’ fire incident in which three houses belonging to Kashmiri Pandits were gutted in the Mattan area of Anantnag district.

South Kashmir DIG Javid Iqbal Mattoo said the fire broke out ‘mysteriously’ on the intervening night of July 28 and 29 at the house of Anand Razdan.

“The fire also engulfed the houses of Shadi Lal Razdan and Sham Lal Pathwar, both neighbours of Anand Razdan, damaging their houses. A nearby grain store was also damaged in the fire,” the DIG said.

He added that an investigation is underway following the filing of an FIR at the Mattan police station.

“Forensic teams have been called to assist the police with the investigation. We are also scanning the CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to look for clues,” the DIG said.

One of the houses gutted in the fire was the maternal home of the additional spokesperson of National Conference (NC), Umesh Talashi.

NC said the party stands united with the Kashmiri Pandit brethren.

“One of the affected houses holds deep sentimental value as it was the maternal home of our additional spokesperson, @UTalashi. This loss of property is deeply emotional and significant. We call on the authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation to bring the culprits to book,” the NC wrote on X.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) Amid the ongoing political squabbles among the INDIA bloc constituents across Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal, Haryana, and Kerala, the alliance parties finally found a chance to show unity.

This opportunity arose due to the deteriorating health of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently imprisoned in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The opposition leaders gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to express their concerns over Kejriwal’s health and his continued detention, demanding the Chief Minister’s release.

The rally saw leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), JMM, RJD, Congress, Trinamool Congress, and Left parties coming together to oppose Kejriwal’s arrest and criticise the Central government’s alleged repressive policies.

The demonstration featured leaders like Bhagwant Mann, Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Raghav Chadha, N.D. Gupta, Pramod Tiwari, Gaurav Gogoi, Sanjay Raut, Sharad Pawar, Manoj Jha, and D. Raja, among others.

On stage, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal was praised by CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who described her as a “lioness” and urged her to remain resolute in her fight.

However, the show of solidarity was tinged with irony, as the Left bloc, including Yechury, struggles to acknowledge Mamata Banerjee — who displaced the Left in Bengal — as a “lioness.”

The INDIA bloc parties, despite their regional differences, used this occasion to project a unified front at the national level.

In the Lok Sabha elections, two major constituents of the opposition bloc — Congress and AAP — diverged significantly in Punjab, even as they presented a united front in Delhi. This lack of cohesive strategy likely diminished public enthusiasm for their alliance.

With Assembly elections coming up in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand, the INDIA bloc is yet to offer a clear political alternative.

The absence of a unified policy or governance vision has impeded their efforts to build a positive public image. Analysts suggest that voters perceive the opposition bloc as a mere counter to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rather than a substantive alternative.

Internal conflicts are evident, with Congress and AAP leaders in Punjab frequently clashing publicly. The hostility between Congress and AAP is often more pronounced than their shared opposition to the BJP.

In Kerala, tensions were highlighted when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi competed with CPI leader D. Raja’s wife in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.

Raja was spotted sharing light-hearted moments with the Congress leaders at the Jantar Mantar, seemingly downplaying any existing rifts with the grand old party.

In Bengal, the discord between the Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s party is well-documented, with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury frequently criticising Mamata Banerjee and her government.

Similarly, in Haryana, AAP’s increased political friction with the Congress is apparent, with AAP accusing the Congress of sabotaging their candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. AAP’s announcement to contest all 90 seats in Haryana further underscores this friction.

While the INDIA bloc focuses on taking the Central government to cleaners in the Parliament, they continue to struggle to mask their internal conflicts.

The BJP continues to exploit these divisions to undermine the Bloc’s efforts. This is why the opposition leaders seized the opportunity at Jantar Mantar to send a message of unity.

–IANS

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