Jai Ram stings Congress with ‘lack of vision’ remark - Hindustan Times
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Jai Ram stings Congress with ‘lack of vision’ remark

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By, Dharamshala
Nov 06, 2019 10:21 PM IST

Launching a stinging attack on the opposition Congress, chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said that when in power, Congress leaders failed to bring any investment to the state as ‘they lacked vision’. He was speaking at the ‘Abhar Rally’ organised at the Zoravar Stadium here to thank the people of Dharamshala assembly constituency for electing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Vishal Neharia in the recently held bypoll.

Launching a stinging attack on the opposition Congress, chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said that when in power, Congress leaders failed to bring any investment to the state as ‘they lacked vision’.

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He was speaking at the ‘Abhar Rally’ organised at the Zoravar Stadium here to thank the people of Dharamshala assembly constituency for electing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Vishal Neharia in the recently held bypoll.

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He said, “Ahead of the investors’ meet, the BJP government in the state has signed agreements with an expected investment worth 82,000 crore, still our friends are raising “undue hue and cry”. They don’t consider an investment as so until something goes into their pocket.”

“The previous Congress government also organised road shows across the country to woo investors, but failed to bring any investment due to lack of vision,” he added.

Thakur said Congress was questioning the state government for organising the investors’ meet even as the states ruled by them were organising similar summits.

“If Congress leaders think that the investors’ meet is not in the interest of the state then why don’t they ask their own government to stop organising investors’ meet in those states,” he said.

He said now people in their own party were questioning the Congress for failing to organise events like the current government is doing to attract investment.

“Since Congress has no answer, its leaders are opposing the investors’ meet in Himachal out of compulsion,” the CM said.

Expressing his gratitude to the people of Dharamshala for victory in the by-poll, Thakur said BJP’s winning streak is continuing since the assembly elections in 2017.

He said in 2017 assembly polls, Congress was claiming to repeat the government but the voters rejected them outright.

Then came the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Thakur said, and the public again gave a huge mandate in favour of BJP despite the negative campaigning by the Congress and the party won all the four seats in the state with a record margin.

He said the by-polls to Dharamshala and Pachhad were necessitated after the sitting legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha.

“It was a tough exam which we have passed with flying colours,” said CM, adding that in Dharamshala the Congress candidate even forfeited his deposit.

“I don’t think Congress was ever in such a bad shape in the country and the state like it is today. Still, they have the audacity to question the steps government is taking in state’s interest,” he said.

The CM said, “Dharamshala is an important politically and geographically for being the largest district which sends 15 legislators to the state assembly.”

He said the government was trying to bring Himachal and Dharamshala on the international map by organising the investors’ meet here.

“It is a proud moment for us that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Dharamshala for the second time within a year to inaugurate the summit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor urged the CM and the government to make efforts to bring maximum investment to Kangra and Chamba region. Newly-elected Dharamshala legislator Vishal Nehria said he will try to live up to the expectation of the people of the constituency.

Shanta Kumar skips rally

Veteran BJP leader and former Union minister Shanta Kumar gave the rally a miss. His supporters said he could not come to the meet due to prior engagement. Among those present were health minister Vipin Parmar, industry minister Bikram Singh and deputy speaker of Vidhan Sabha Hans Raj.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Naresh K Thakur is a staff reporter in Hindustan Times’ Himachal bureau. Based at Dharamshala, he covers Tibetan affairs, local politics and environmental issues.

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