Sukhu issues stern warning to rebels and independents, urging voters to punish 'sellouts'

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu condemned 9 rebels who voted for BJP in Rajya Sabha polls. He accused them of corruption and vowed that voters would punish them, highlighting the significance of honesty in politics. The election is seen as crucial, pitting money power against people's will. Sukhu criticized the BJP-led government for using force against employees demanding pensions and promised monthly pensions for eligible women.

Sharpening his attack on six Congress rebels and three Independents, who voted for the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that people will teach them a lesson for ''selling themselves in the political mandi of the BJP''.

''Himachal is devbhumi and the land of Gods and Goddesses and the people never support the dishonest and the present election would decide that honesty should win and dishonesty must be defeated,'' Sukhu said while addressing a meeting at Kupvi in the Shimla district in support of Vinod Sultanpuri, the Congress candidate from the Shimla (SC) Lok Sabha seat. He said that the ongoing election is not for saving the chair or the government but for ''saving democracy'' and asked the voters to decide whether the strength of democracy is 'dhanbal or janbal' (money power or people's power).

Asserting that the present election is not an ordinary election and would determine the course of future politics of the country, he asked, ''What would be the value of the vote if the government in power at the Centre purchases the elected representatives with money power?'' Confrontation between the truth and lies is common but the truth always triumphs, he said and appealed to people to teach a lesson to those who played with their sentiments.

Accusing of chief minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur of being power hungry, Sukhu alleged that his government resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons against the employees demanding restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. He said that a pension of Rs 1,500 per month would be given to all eligible women in the age group of 18-59 years and after the elections are over, women would get Rs 3,000 in a single instalment.