BJP state leaders did not support development: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party state unit leaders behaved irresponsibly towards the hill state's development in the past three years.

"The opposition lacked leadership. Its support for the state's development was zero. The opposition spent much of its time outside the Vidhan Sabha. It was busy staging walkouts and raising slogans rather than debating public issues in the house," Singh told reporters here.

The chief minister said democracy did not mean slogan-shouting and sitting on 'dharnas' (sit-downs). "The opposition party should raise public issues in the Vidhan Sabha and debate them in the public interest," he said.

Listing the achievements of his government, the Congress leader said recent results of elections of Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies were indicative enough.

Taking a jibe at the BJP-led central government, Virbhadra Singh said the state progressed over the decades with the help of the union government.

"During the last two years, there was some impact on the development as the Modi government did not stick to the pattern of 90:10 funding. Now they are doing it, so the state will benefit," he said.

Singh denied his government was engaged in a political vendetta against opponents.

"Rather, they framed me in false cases and I had to face trial in sessions court twice. Both the times, I was acquitted," he added.