Dharamshala, Nov 27 — Day 2 of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Winter Session turned turbulent as the protracted tussle between Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi flared up once again, culminating in a dramatic BJP walkout from the House.
The spark came when Jai Ram Thakur pressed for a detailed debate on disaster relief, transparency in central funds, and assistance provided to affected families.
Thakur alleged that ever since the Sukhu government took office, the state had received around ₹5,000 crore from the Centre under NDRF and SDRF, but “the government has failed to disclose where the money actually went and whether disaster-hit families benefitted.”
Instead of giving a direct reply, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi allegedly targeted him and the Seraj constituency, which instantly reignited the long-running friction between the two leaders.
Tempers rose, and the House soon turned into a battleground of sharp retorts and accusations.
Addressing the media after the uproar, Jai Ram Thakur said:
“Thirty-three people died in the disaster, and 22 bodies are still untraceable, yet the government keeps making hollow claims.”
“The minister used objectionable words that are unfit for the Assembly record.”
“We urged the Speaker to expunge those remarks, but our request was ignored.”
Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania declined to remove the remarks from the proceedings, prompting BJP MLAs to stand up in protest, raise slogans, wave pre-prepared banners, and finally stage a walkout from the Vidhan Sabha.
Thakur further said that relief material and cheques donated by individuals and organisations were distributed transparently in the presence of villagers and later verified.
He accused the government of repeatedly derailing discussions, using inappropriate language, and failing to deliver on disaster relief.
The ruling Congress dismissed the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated,” saying the BJP’s sole aim was to disrupt the functioning of the House.