Shimla: The political battle between the BJP and the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh has intensified, with BJP state president Dr. Rajeev Bindal calling for the immediate dismissal of a Congress minister over inflammatory remarks directed at protesting Secretariat employees.
The minister, reportedly Rakesh Dharmani, is said to have warned government employees that their jobs and benefits would be at risk unless they aligned with the Congress party.
He allegedly stated that those who don't support the government or who demand their rights could have their salaries and benefits cut off.
Dr. Bindal condemned the statement as an open threat to state employees and demanded that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu take a clear stand.
"IF the Chief Minister agrees with the minister's statement, he should say so openly. If not, he must immediately sack the minister," Bindal insisted.
This confrontation is heating up as both the BJP and Congress try to capitalize on the discontent among Secretariat employees, with the BJP positioning itself as the champion of employees' rights and the Congress under pressure to address the growing controversy.