MLA’s Suresh Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Gaud have strongly criticized Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for misleading the public regarding the budget provision for the Mandi Shiv Dham project. They said that while Jai Ram Thakur frequently refers to Shiv Dham as his “dream project, but did not made any financial provision for its construction during his tenure as Chief Minister. His so-called vision remained nothing more than rhetoric, with no real steps taken to make it a reality.
They said in contrast, the present Congress government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has shown its commitment by allocating Rs. 100 crore for completion of the Shiv Dham project.
Unlike the BJP, which only made promises, the Congress government has assured that the project will be completed within two years. They said that despite being from Mandi district, Jai Ram Thakur failed to prioritize the development of the region.
The Shiv Dham project, which he claimed to his initiative, neglect during his tenure and now the Congress government is taking responsibility to bring it to completion. The MLAs also refuted Jai Ram Thakur’s claims about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s connection with Mandi and his supposed role in inspiring the project.
They stated that if the central leadership had genuinely interested, they should have provided financial support should during the BJP’s tenure. However, no such assistance given and the project remained stalled. Now, the Congress government is ensure that Shiv Dham is completed and is actively working to strengthen religious tourism across the state.
The MLAs criticized the opposition for attempting to mislead the public with baseless allegations, such as claiming that the government is targeting temple funds with statements like “mandiron ke khazane par sarkaar ki nazar.”
They said that such accusations are entirely false and reflect the opposition’s desperation and habit of spreading misinformation. Instead of making baseless claims the opposition should acknowledge the genuine developmental efforts of the congress government in promoting religious tourism and improving infrastructure for devotees.
They said that the present congress government was commitment to preserving religious heritage and traditions and has announced a five percent increase in offerings (nazrana) to deities. They urged the opposition to stop misleading people and instead support initiatives that genuinely benefit the state and its devotees.
They said that while the BJP failed to act on its promises, the present Congress government is taking concrete steps to fulfill them ensuring real progress rather than empty rhetoric.
