'Wherever Cong Came to Power, They Brought Loot, Barbaadi': BJP Slams Sukhu-Led Himachal Govt

New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday criticized the Congress -led Himachal Pradesh government, saying that wherever the Congress party comes to power, it brings "loot" and "barbaadi" (destruction).

Speaking to ANI, BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "This is the 'khata-khat' model of Congress. Wherever Congress party came to power, they brought 'loot', 'barbaadi' along with them...In Himachal Pradesh, the Govt cannot provide salaries of employees, toilet tax has been imposed...They are busy investigating samosas and the situation is such that the Himachal Bhawan is now on the verge of getting sold to pay the dues of power companies."

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur also criticised the Sukhu-led Congress government for not taking the court cases seriously and warned that the secretariat could be auctioned off if the situation continues.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Thakur said, "Firstly, the government is not taking the court cases seriously and one after the other decisions are being taken in Himachal Pradesh due to which the government is getting embarrassed. It is a period of financial crisis, it has been there for many years but because of this, the whole of Himachal Pradesh is now worried that if Himachal Bhawan is auctioned, then in the coming time, the situation will be such that the secretariat may be auctioned," he said.

The BJP's attack came after the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday passed an order to attach the Himachal Bhavan in Delhi's Mandi House after the Congress-led Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government failed to clear overdue electricity bills.

Himachal Pradesh Advocate General Anup Kumar Rattan however termed the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order to attach Himachal Bhawan in Delhi as a normal routine process and added that it became news because the High Court mentioned the possibility of auctioning the Bhawan.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, HP Advocate General Rattan said, "This order of the High Court has come in an execution petition in which Seli Hydropower has filed an execution that the order given in their favour by the single judge should be returned the upfront premium of Rs 64 crore because the government has not deposited that money in the appellate court. Therefore, this order has been given by the Executing Court in a normal routine process. But this is becoming news because the High Court has said about auctioning Himachal Bhawan and that this property can also be attached."

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he has not yet read the High Court's decision to attach Himachal Bhawan in Delhi but has taken information regarding it and will review the order.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sukhu said, "I have not read the High Court order but the upfront premium is based on a policy under which when the energy policy was made in 2006, I was the main architect. We had kept a reserve price per megawatt on which the companies had bid. There was a decision made by arbitration in the matter of upfront premium...Our govt went to the High Court against the arbitration order and the government had to deposit Rs 64 crore in arbitration. I have taken information regarding the same and we will study about this type of order."