Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)[India], September 7 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's Principal Media Advisor, Naresh Chauhan on Monday criticised BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over her conduct during a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Mandi, saying that elected representatives have every right to seek accountability from officials but there is a proper manner and decorum to do so.
Reacting to the BJP MP's allegations of corruption against the Congress government and her reported reprimand of officials during the meeting on Saturday, Chauhan said he did not support the manner in which she allegedly scolded and reprimanded officers.
“We have also seen on social media and in the media the way Kangana ji was scolding and reprimanding officials. Personally, we do not support this. There may be shortcomings in the system or an officer may have made a mistake. But the purpose of such meetings is to have a dialogue, take feedback on schemes and find out at which level a particular scheme is facing difficulties,” Chauhan told ANI.
He said Kangana's lack of political experience and maturity could be one of the reasons behind her approach, arguing that public service and getting government work implemented was much more complex than it appeared.
“She basically comes from the field of being a celebrity. Serving people and getting work done is not as easy as it appears,” he said.
Chauhan also referred to reports that funds available to MPs and MLAs had not been fully utilised, saying that if development works were not reaching the ground, people had every right to question their elected representatives.
“If things have not reached the ground level, people naturally have the right to ask questions. Perhaps that frustration was expressed by her against officials in this manner,” he said.
At the same time, Chauhan stressed that officials and employees also had their own self-respect and dignity.
“Getting work done is certainly important. If an officer or employee is responsible for delaying work or not doing it, then questioning them is necessary, but there is a certain decorum and a proper way of doing it,” he said.
Chauhan rejected the allegation that government officials in Himachal Pradesh do not work, saying the state's development had been possible because of the collective contribution of officers and employees.
“To say that officers in Himachal Pradesh do not work is absolutely wrong. We do not agree with this at all. The development journey of Himachal Pradesh has involved the cooperation of officers, employees and everyone else. You also need to know how to get work done,” he said.
He alleged that Kangana had repeatedly remained in the headlines over controversies, which, he claimed, was causing a loss to the people of Mandi.
“I feel that the people of Mandi are having to bear the consequences when their MP repeatedly makes headlines over issues that have no meaning and are merely for publicity,” Chauhan said.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, he said the party may eventually realise the difficulties of fielding candidates whose approach, according to him, was more suited to celebrity politics than public representation.
“If you need to bring such people, bring them to the Rajya Sabha, where there is no direct accountability to the people. But as an elected MP, there are responsibilities that have to be fulfilled, and work has to be done,” he said.
Chauhan also referred to Kangana's earlier remarks about the limited number of days MPs spend in Parliament, saying that an MP's responsibilities extend beyond attending Parliament.
Defending the Sukhu government, Chauhan said the state had taken several decisions keeping Himachal Pradesh's interests at the forefront and claimed that the foundation being laid by the government would benefit the state in the future.
“Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has decided that the interests of Himachal Pradesh will remain paramount and that the fight for those interests will be fought honestly. The results are also coming,” he said.
Chauhan said the people of Himachal Pradesh were increasingly becoming aware of their rights and of those who were raising their voice for the state's interests.
He cited several pending issues involving the Centre and neighbouring states, including Himachal's share in power projects, the 12 per cent free-power issue, BBMB matters and the Kishau Dam project, saying these were crucial for the state's economic future and existence.
“The biggest turning point at this time is that the interests of the state must remain paramount. Whether the issues are with the Government of India or neighbouring states such as Haryana and Punjab, these matters are very important for Himachal Pradesh's future and existence,” he said.
Chauhan said the state needed to become financially self-reliant so that it would not have to repeatedly seek assistance from the Centre.
“How will Himachal Pradesh stand on its own feet so that we do not have to repeatedly go before the Government of India with a begging bowl? I strongly believe in the Chief Minister's approach and the way he is working. People are also understanding that someone is fighting for the interests of the state,” he said.
Responding to Kangana's remarks about opening RSS schools if the BJP returns to power in Himachal Pradesh, Chauhan said the question of who would form the next government would ultimately be decided by the people.
“These are speculative statements about what will happen in the future. In a democracy, what happens next will depend on what the people want. The people and voters of Himachal Pradesh will decide,” he said.
He criticised the BJP for what he described as a failure to play a constructive role as the Opposition.
“Being in the Opposition does not mean that you only have to criticise the government. You should give good suggestions and do good work because you too have been elected by the people,” Chauhan said.
He alleged that the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh had failed to discharge its responsibilities because of internal divisions.
On the issue of education, Chauhan said the Congress government was focusing on strengthening the state's education and health sectors, rather than merely making political announcements.
“We will open our Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools and take children to that level. The initiatives our government has started in education and health will set very different standards in the coming years,” he said.
Taking another swipe at the BJP, Chauhan said that if its vision for education was limited to opening RSS schools, people could judge for themselves what kind of development agenda it offered.
“If their thinking has reached only the point of opening RSS schools, then what will they do for the people of the state? People can analyse for themselves what their vision and thinking is. Their thinking, apart from dividing the country and society, cannot move forward,” he said. (ANI)
"Kangana’s conduct at DISHA meeting lacked political maturity": Himachal CM Sukhu’s media advisor Naresh Chauhan
