The Himachal Pradesh government, already under scrutiny after a CID investigation into the disappearance of the lion from a plate, has landed in another controversy. Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu’s administration is now in the spotlight again.
The controversy began when a passenger in a government bus played a debate program on his phone, featuring objectionable comments about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This incident triggered a political uproar, and HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) issued notices to the bus driver and conductor, questioning why they did not intervene. HRTC has demanded responses from both the driver and conductor within three days.
On the 1st of this month, the incident unfolded as a bus traveling from Shimla to Sanjauli, was crowded with passengers. A passenger streamed the controversial program, which included comments against Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. This led HRTC to issue notices to the driver and conductor, holding them accountable for failing to act.
The BJP has criticized the Sukhu government over this issue. BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma questioned the government’s logic, arguing that a driver’s role is to drive and a conductor’s responsibility is to issue tickets. He stated that holding them accountable for a passenger’s phone activity is unreasonable.
Sharma suggested that if the government is so concerned, it should appoint marshals on buses to monitor passengers’ devices. He further accused the Congress government of creating chaos in Himachal Pradesh, worsening the state’s situation.
The controversy has added fuel to the ongoing political debate in the state, with both sides blaming each other for the governance issues.