Congress Chief Vinay Kumar Hits Back at BJP Over Broken Promises and Fiscal Betrayal
State Congress President Vinay Kumar pulled no punches as he fired back at the BJP following resolutions passed at the party’s Working Committee meeting in Mandi — calling out what he described as years of deception, empty promises, and deliberate neglect of Himachal Pradesh.
“Not a single lie of the BJP will work in this state anymore,” Vinay Kumar said bluntly. “The people have seen their true face, and they won’t be fooled again.”
A “Double-Engine” That Left the State in Debt
Vinay Kumar reserved particular scorn for the BJP’s much-celebrated “double-engine government” narrative, arguing that behind the slogan lay a trail of financial damage. According to him, the previous BJP administration left the state saddled with a debt burden exceeding ₹70,000 crore and unresolved employee liabilities of over ₹10,000 crore — a legacy, he said, that the current Congress government has been quietly cleaning up.
“They called themselves a double engine. But both engines were running the state into the ground,” he said.
Pension Promises vs. Political Reality
On the sensitive issue of employee pensions, Vinay Kumar drew a sharp contrast between the two governments. He recalled how employees who approached then-Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with demands for the restoration of the old pension scheme were met with indifference — and were even reportedly told to contest elections if they wanted their pensions addressed.
“That was the BJP’s idea of governance — mock the very people who serve the state,” he said.
Today, he pointed out, the Congress government has not only restored the old pension scheme but is also systematically clearing pending employee liabilities in a phased manner. “We made a promise. We kept it. That’s the difference.”
Disaster Relief That Never Came
Vinay Kumar also took aim at the central government’s response — or lack thereof — during natural disasters that battered the hill state. Despite repeated appeals, he said, the state has yet to receive ₹1,500 crore in rightful disaster relief.
“Even Prime Minister Modi, who calls Himachal his second home, turned his back on the state in its hour of need,” he said. “Words are cheap. Relief funds are not.”
He further alleged that the closure of the state’s RDG (Rural Development Guarantee scheme) was no accident — calling it a calculated political move by the BJP to weaken the state’s financial footing.
“Their Conspiracies Will Fail”
Dismissing what he called coordinated efforts to destabilize the Congress government, Vinay Kumar said all such attempts have already fallen flat. The Congress, he reminded, holds a full majority in the state — and no amount of political maneuvering has changed that.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Panchayat elections and next year’s Assembly polls, he expressed confidence that the people of Himachal Pradesh will once again reject the BJP’s agenda.
“Their money power won’t save them. Their conspiracies won’t work. The people of this state know who stood by them — and who didn’t,” he said. “Congress stands with Himachal, and Himachal stands with Congress.”
