Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday rejected the BJP’s allegations of factionalism within the Congress after skipping the recent unveiling of a statue of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh in Sarahan.
BJP had alleged that the absence of the CM and the Congress state president from the event reflected the growing internal contradictions within the Congress. “Why should there be factionalism? This is a wrong statement. “The unveiling of his statue should not be linked with factionalism. It is wrong to interpret such an occasion as a sign of divisions within the Congress. Meanwhile, public works and urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh also dismissed the factionalism allegations over the unveiling of former CM Virbhadra Singh’s statue. Sukhu emphasised that education should focus not only on academic achievements but also on character-building and the overall development of students. During the meeting, he reviewed the implementation of the CBSE curriculum in government schools and stressed the need to ensure qualified teachers, adequate administrative staff and a conducive learning environment.
Speaking to the media in Shimla, Sukhu said Congress leaders had come together to honour Virbhadra Singh’s legacy and asserted that the unveiling of his statue should not be linked to factionalism within the party. Speaking to reporters at Sanjauli Heliport in Shimla, Sukhu said the BJP’s allegations of factionalism in the Congress were misplaced and accused the opposition party of being divided into several factions itself. The BJP itself is divided into five factions,” Sukhu told reporters. When his statue was unveiled in Shimla, all Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were present,” Sukhu said. Speaking on the occasion, Sukhu said that the initiative was not merely a means of travelling from one place to another, but also a symbol of changing times, new thinking and immense development opportunities in the hill state. The CM said that the state government had set a target of connecting every corner of Himachal through helicopter services.
