FIR filed against those using unfair means to destabilise govt: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that an FIR has been registered against those who used 'unfair means' during Rajya Sabha elections to destabilise the government.

"We have sufficient evidence that they used unfair means," the Chief Minister said, adding that the FIR has been registered based on evidence.

The Chief Minister said that the Congress party has organised a torchlight protest against those who tried to destabilize the government.

"This kind of people who were elected by the people has sold themselves and are trying to kill democracy. The Congress party organised this torchlight march, starting from Gandhi's statue to Ambedkar Chowk. It is a march for the constitution and to save democracy. We staged this protest against the game they played in Himachal," CM Sukhu said.

On a rebel Congress legislator's statement accusing the Chief Minister of 'stabbing from behind', CM Sukhu said, "They have attacked from behind, they were elected on the Congress party symbol and but voted in favour of the BJP candidate instead of voting for the Congress candidate. You must know before asking this to whom they have voted."

The Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Congress MLA, Sanjay Awasthi, one of the two complainants based on whose complaint the Shimla Police has registered a complaint against the rebel MLAs said, "Yes, we have evidence for that and I believe that they should participate in the investigation on moral grounds."

"You can connect our case with the recent order of the seven judges bench of the Supreme Court, as this is a case of similar nature. We have demanded a fair investigation of the horse trading done during the Rajya Sabha elections in the state. It is known to everyone that the BJP has done horse trading by using unfair means and we have demanded legal action against those involved in it," Awasthi added further.

Responding to the possibility of the disqualified MLAs returning to the party, Sanjay Awasthi said it would depend on their 'wisdom'.

"I don't know if they will come back; it will depend on them, as they are not members of our family and they have deceived the people of the state and started a tradition that is not popular in the state. The truth will be out and the real picture will be out against those after the investigation," he said.

"With this torchlight march, we are trying to send a message not only to the state but also to the country that the Constitution is in threat and there is a threat to democracy, and we all need to come together to fight this. The BJP in Himachal Pradesh is greedy for power and is trying to destabilize the government," Awasthi said.

The six rebel MLAs who were disqualified from the Assembly were Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal under the anti-defection law. After the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

These rebel legislators have cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls. In the Rajya Sabha election recently, the BJP, which has only 25 MLAs, managed to secure 9 additional votes.