Himachal Congress President and MP Pratibha Singh termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Yuva Sankalp Vijay rally’ in Mandi as a complete failure and described it as an election strunt.

In a press statement issued here on Saturday, Singh accused State’s Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur led-BJP government in the state of misusing the government machinery and spending crores of rupees.

“The youth of the state have been disappointed as the Prime Minister in his virtual address did not even make any such announcement for the youth, which could resolve the rising unemployment in the country,” she said.

Singh alleged that despite spending crores of rupees for this rally of PM, the state did not get anything as no announcement that the people expected was made by him for the state.

“BJP should apologize to the youth for the manner in which the unemployment figure has increased during the five years of the Jai Ram Thakur government and in the eight years of Modi regime. This figure has gone above 12 lakhs in the state, which is a matter of great concern,” she stated.

She went on to contend that the Mandi rally of the Prime Minister ahead of the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh was a failed attempt to mislead the youth.

Now the BJP will not get any political benefit from holding whatever rallies it wants in the state, she claimed.

The BJP faced defeat in the by-elections in the state held last year and will face a similar debacle in the assembly elections as well, asserted Singh.

Meanwhile, State Congress Committee Vice President Naresh Chauhan addressing media persons said that the PM has yet again disappointed the people of the state as they were expecting financial help for the debt-ridden Himachal.

However, like his previous address to the people of the state he has played an emotional card calling Himachal his second home, he added.

Launching an attack on CM Jai Ram Thakur-led government Chauhan said that this government is unable to demand anything from the Modi government at the centre for the 70 lakh people of Himachal.

Accusing the Thakur of pushing the state under heavy debt and splurging public money on such events, he demanded that the state government should bring out a white paper on the debt and where the loan money was being spent.

The Prime Minister had made many big promises during his visit to Himachal eight years ago, however, nothing has translated on the ground, he alleged.

Modi had promised to increase the import duty on apples to 100 percent, but till date nothing has been done, he charged, adding that cheap apples from abroad are reaching the country, due to which the prices of Himachali apples is falling.

Furthermore, even the announcements made by Modi to construct 69 National Highways in Himachal are nowhere on ground and even the Detailed Project Reports have not even been made, Chauhan alleged