BJP to hand over to Himachal governor signatures collected as part of campaign

The BJP will hand over the signatures collected as part of a campaign against the denotification of institutions in Himachal Pradesh to the governor on March 13, the party's state unit chief Suresh Kashyap said on Thursday.

''The Congress-led government has shut over 900 institutions and facilities opened by the previous BJP regime and brought development in the state to a standstill,'' Kashyap said.

The BJP leader, who called on Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, said the party's Akrosh Rally will be held in Shimla on March 13 and the signatures handed over to him.

Terming the government's decision to stop the distribution of free school uniforms as ''unfortunate'', Kashyap said the BJP provided free uniforms to 8 lakh students during its regime but the current Congress dispensation has slashed the number to 3.70 lakh. The present government is giving Rs 600 to each student that, Kashyap alleged, was being given to the state under a central scheme. The contribution of the Himachal government is zero, he said.

''Loktantra Prahari'' -- people who were jailed during the Emergency -- whose pensions have been stopped, will meet the governor on March 14, he added in a statement issued here.