Opposition always trying to create division in Cong: Vikramaditya

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh today said that the government of Virbhadra Singh was a bygone era, so it was not appropriate to talk about it up again and again but the fact that he remained Chief Minister six times “is part of history that cannot be changed”.

Vikramaditya, while addressing mediapersons here, dismissed the charge of factionalism in the Congress and said that the Opposition was always trying to hatch a conspiracy to target ministers and ruling party MLAs to create division in the Congress. He added that the regime of Virbhadra Singh was a thing of the past. “However, the fact that Virbhadra was Chief Minister for six terms is part of the history that cannot be changed. We must now talk of the present and future of the state, leaving the past,” he asserted.

Asked if Virbhadra’s loyalists had been sidelined and why some MLAs quit the Congress last year, Vikramaditya said that his father was the Chief Minister of Himachal for six terms, so everyone was close to him. “To be able to become Chief Minister six times, one requires not just courage but also the support of everyone. Categorising anyone to be a Virbhadra supporter reflects petty politics and a narrow mindset, which I do not approve of,” he added.

“The Opposition is always trying to project that all is not well within the Congress and the state government, which is not true at all,” said Vikramaditya, whose cryptic post, supporting Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and calling him a disciple of Virbhadra school of thought has caused a flutter in the Congress circles.

He said that it was a known fact that Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri was one of the tallest leaders and had won five elections from the Haroli Assembly segment. “If any of the BJP leaders have a problem with development and employment melas that he is organising, it is wrong. It is in my DNA to stand with my colleagues and we will together work for the progress of the state,” he added.

Vikramaditya said that the Congress needed to be very cautious against such conspiracies hatched by the Opposition and work together to take Himachal Pradesh forward on the path of development.

Himachal Tribune