Law will take its course in National Herald case: Satti

Local MLA Satpal Singh Satti today alleged that the very same people, who had waved copies of the Constitution over trivial issues, were today staging protests against the investigating agencies duly formed under law in the National Herald case.

Satti, while addressing mediapersons here, said that Congress leaders, who were making a hue and cry on the chargesheet against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, should respect law and let it take its own course. He added that it had been proved that those who waived the copies of the Constitution in and outside Parliament frequently did so only to gain cheap publicity, as they had scant respect or faith for the Constitution.

Satti questioned the Congress whether the Nehru-Gandhi family members were above law and they could not be charged under the provisions of the country’s law. He added that agencies like the CBI, NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were independent organisations.

He said that in the past two years, the Congress government had given lakhs of rupees as advertisement to National Herald. On the Congress’ allegations that the Jai Ram Thakur government had also given advertisements to publications owing allegiance to the BJP and the RSS, he added that ‘Panchjanya’ and ‘Organiser’ were nationalistic publications and had a substantial circulation in the country as opposed to National Herald, even one copy of which was never seen in Himachal Pradesh.

Satti said that the special status state tag given to Himachal Pradesh during the Vajpayee government was withdrawn by the Manmohan Singh government but the Narendra Modi government revived it later. Similarly, an industrial package given by Atal Bihari Vajpayee till 2013 was cut short by three years by the Manmohan Singh government.

He said that the Central Government had given thousands of crores of rupees to the state for the development of roads, rail network and other infrastructure. He added that recently, the Central Government had announced Rs 500 crore for the education sector in the state.

Satti said that Union Health Minister JP Nadda had sanctioned a medical device park in Baddi estimated to cost Rs 100 crore and the first installment of Rs 25 crore was also released to the state. He added that the state government refused to implement the project, expressing its inability to do so.

He said that for the proposed bulk drug park in Una district, the Union Government had given the first installment of Rs 225 crore in 2023 to the state but the money had not been utilised so far. He added that in the 15th Finance Commission, the Centre had sanctioned 12 critical care blocks in the state but not even one had been completed.

Satti said that on Holi festival, a Chief Secretary-level officer had hosted a party and the General Administration Department paid the bill. He added that corruption was deep rooted in the present government in all spheres.

Himachal Tribune