Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania hits out at politics of personal attacks

Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania hits out at politics of personal attacks

Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania on Saturday came out in support of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, describing him as a “yodha” and a well-wisher of Kangra, while criticising what he termed the growing trend of personal attacks in politics.

Addressing a press conference at the Old Circuit House here, Pathania, without naming anyone, appeared to refer to recent remarks against the Chief Minister, saying political differences should not descend into personal attacks or undermine the dignity of public office.

He said political leaders should exercise restraint while making public statements, particularly in the age of social media. “Those who use objectionable language against political opponents eventually lose credibility in a democracy,” he said.

Describing Sukhu as a “watchdog of the state’s interests”, Pathania said the Chief Minister enjoyed the support of 40 MLAs in the 68-member Assembly. He said differences were natural in a democracy but personal attacks had no place in public discourse.

A follower of the Gandhian school of thought, Pathania said politics should unite society rather than create divisions. He attributed what he termed “restlessness” within the BJP to the government’s development initiatives in Kangra.

He said projects worth over Rs 3,500 crore were currently under way in the district. These included the expansion of Kangra airport, for which Rs 2,400 crore had been awarded for land acquisition, a proposed Rs 250-crore milk plant and a Rs 625-crore zoological park at Bankhandi.

Pathania also thanked Sukhu for shifting the headquarters of eight institutions, including RERA, the Wildlife Department and HPTDC, to Dharamsala. He welcomed the shifting of the Engineer-in-Chief, Jal Shakti Department, office back to Fatehpur, saying it would improve administrative accessibility for Kangra.