An emotional Himachal House remembers six-time CM Virbhadra

Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 2

MLAs, cutting across party lines, today paid emotional tributes to six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, whose absence was felt in the Vidhan Sabha. He remained its member on nine occasions.

The 10-day monsoon session commenced with members remembering the two sitting MLAs and three former legislators who passed away since the Assembly met last during the budget session in March. The House also paid tributes to former minister Narinder Bragta, who was the MLA from Jubbal-Kotkhai in Shimla district, besides Mohan Lal, Ram Singh and Amar Singh who died recently.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said, “Virbhadra was a very simple and humble person, who won the hearts of the people. His contribution to the development of the state would always be remembered,” said Thakur. Despite being the seniormost MLA, who was a grassroot leader, Virbhadra would make it a point to attend the session.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri demanded that considering Virbhadra’s stature, his statue should be installed on The Ridge as a mark of respect to the departed leader. “Though he was a king by birth, he ruled over the hearts of the people and credit goes to him for launching the political career of so many politicians,” he said.

Speaker Vipin Parmar cautioned everyone to keep their guards up against Covid as the pandemic was still not over.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania, Asha Kumari and other Congress and BJP legislators paid tributes to the departed souls.

He was an accidental politician: Vikramaditya

“My father was an accidental politician, a statement he would often repeat while talking about his initiation into electoral politics at the instance of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,” said Vikramaditya Singh, son of Virbhadra, in an emotional tribute to his father.

“Since my childhood, I got the opportunity to learn so much from him,” he said. He shared details of his father’s meeting with Nehru and his days at St Stephen’s College.

“My father shared a very close association with the Nehru-Gandhi family and was a great believer in our gods and goddesses,” he said.

They were the only father and son, who were members of the Vidhan Sabha at the same time.