"HP govt creating fake narrative," Union Minister JP Nadda slams Congress allegations on Centre

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 20 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda on Saturday criticised the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government, accusing it of misleading the public by claiming that the Centre has not supported the state. He asserted that all major developments in the state have taken place only under NDA-led governments.
Speaking to the media in Dharamshala, JP Nadda said, "The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government is trying to create a narrative that the Centre hasn't provided funds or cared about Himachal. I want to clarify that if even an inch of development has happened, it has been under an NDA-led Prime Minister."
Recalling contributions made under the NDA government, Nadda said, "When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM, Himachal received a special package. But when the Congress was in power at the Centre, they deprived the state of the benefits it deserved as a special category state. This is the history of Congress -- not a single major project was initiated during their tenure."
He added that development has continued under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"Every significant contribution to Himachal's growth has happened under the NDA -- first with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and now with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.
"This is the reason I dispel this narrative towards the Centre by the Himachal Pradesh government," he added.
To support his statement, Nadda said that the Centre has allocated Rs 11,806 crore for Himachal Pradesh's development in the current financial year.
He also highlighted the progress made in the Chamba district under the Aspirational Districts Program launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2018.
"I was in Chamba yesterday for the Aspirational District Program meeting. PM Modi initiated the concept in 2018, and Chamba was among the districts selected. When I look at the parameters, I feel satisfied that Chamba has progressed well in a short period, especially in areas like financial inclusion, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and irrigation," Nadda said.
However, he also pointed out that there is still room for improvement.
"There are a few points which bothered me as well, and I have informed the district administration about them," he added, without specifying the concerns. (ANI)