Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 4 (ANI): Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said the contributions of all former Chief Ministers should have been acknowledged during the official celebrations marking the 120th birth anniversary of Himachal Pradesh’s first Chief Minister, Yashwant Singh Parmar, while asserting that Parmar’s legacy transcends political affiliations.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Thakur paid tributes to Dr Parmar, describing him as the principal architect of modern Himachal Pradesh whose vision laid the foundation for the state’s development.
“Today’s Himachal Pradesh exists because of the decisive role played by Dr Y S Parmar. He fought relentlessly for the creation of a separate hill state and, after achieving that goal, served as Chief Minister for nearly 18 years. His vision for the state’s development remains relevant even today,” Thakur said.
The BJP MLA said Parmar’s emphasis on road infrastructure, rural connectivity, expansion of education and healthcare, and the enactment of landmark land protection laws had shaped Himachal’s development trajectory.
Referring to the state government’s official programme held at the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly to commemorate Parmar’s birth anniversary, Thakur said the event should have reflected the full journey of the state’s development and given due recognition to all former Chief Ministers.
He alleged that the presentation moved directly from Parmar’s tenure to the present Congress government, overlooking the contributions of leaders who governed the state in the intervening decades.
“Many governments, including several Congress governments, have served Himachal after Dr Parmar. Every Chief Minister has contributed to the state’s progress in one way or another. It would have been appropriate to acknowledge their role as well,” he said.
Thakur clarified that his objection was not about displaying photographs but about recognising the contribution of successive governments in building Himachal Pradesh. He named former Chief Ministers Thakur Ram Lal, Shanta Kumar, Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal, saying each had made significant contributions to the state’s growth.
Recalling the celebrations marking 75 years of Himachal Pradesh, Thakur said the previous BJP government had prepared a documentary highlighting the work of all former Chief Ministers irrespective of party affiliation.
“We rose above political considerations then. That tradition should continue. Dr Parmar deserves the highest respect, and programmes held in his honour should reflect the state’s entire developmental journey,” he said.
Thakur also expressed disappointment that the practice of organising the commemorative event in the Assembly Library, which he said had been started during the BJP government to give the occasion greater dignity, had been discontinued.
Responding to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s remarks predicting poor electoral prospects for the BJP, Thakur dismissed the comments as “political predictions that no one takes seriously.”
“He has started making political prophecies. Neither people within his own party nor others take such statements seriously,” Thakur said.
Expressing confidence about the next Assembly elections, Thakur said the BJP would return to power with a decisive mandate and claimed the Congress would perform even worse than the figures projected by the Chief Minister.
He said the outcome of the recent Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections had already indicated growing public support for the BJP. (ANI)
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