Dharamshala, Oct 14 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi of “forgetting” former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh during the statue unveiling ceremony held in his honour.
Parmar said that instead of paying tribute to the veteran leader or acknowledging his contributions to Himachal Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi “spent her speech attacking the Centre”.
“People expected her to speak about the unfulfilled guarantees she made during the elections, but she once again deceived the people of Himachal,” Parmar said, questioning why Priyanka did not even mention Virbhadra Singh’s name or his developmental vision for the state.
He further alleged that while Priyanka Gandhi repeatedly blames the Centre for neglecting Himachal, she herself has not visited flood-hit or disaster-affected areas in Mandi, Kangra, Kullu, or Chamba. “She claims Himachal is her home, but she never came to share the pain of its people,” Parmar remarked.
Countering Priyanka’s criticism, Parmar asserted that the Modi government had “opened its heart and treasury” for Himachal Pradesh. He said the Centre had extended financial assistance exceeding Rs 20,000 crore over the last two years under various schemes including the PM Gram Sadak Yojana (Rs 2,500 crore), Jal Jeevan Mission (Rs 1,500 crore), PM Awas Yojana (Rs 1,200 crore), Disaster Relief Packages (Rs 1,500 crore), and the National Disaster Response Fund (Rs 2,006 crore).
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally announced a Rs 1,500-crore relief package for the disaster-hit state, while additional allocations were made under special assistance schemes amounting to Rs 6,625 crore for 2023–25.
Parmar accused the Congress government of failing to utilise the central funds effectively. “The Centre gave money, but the state government either didn’t use it or delayed spending it. The people deserve to know where it went,” he said.
Taking a dig at the Congress’ “10 guarantees” made before the assembly elections, Parmar said none of them have been fulfilled. “Priyanka Gandhi has forgotten Virbhadra Singh’s legacy and instead used his name for political gain,” he said, adding that the so-called guarantees had become “Himachal’s pain”.
