‘Himachal ka chhokra’: PM’s affectionate reference to Anurag Thakur

Sissu (HP), October 3

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday referred to Union minister Anurag Thakur as “Himachal ka Chhokra”, an apparent show of his support to the young Himachal Pradesh leader after Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had attacked him using the similar phrase in Lok Sabha last month.

While Chowdhury had used “Himachal ka Chhokra”, a colloquial reference meaning the lad from Himachal, as a jibe to attack Thakur, the Prime Minister seemed to be using similar words endearingly.

At Rohtang where he inaugurated Atal Tunnel, Modi smilingly referred to Thakur, who was at the dais, as his colleague from Union Council of Ministers and “Himachal nu chhokro”, while at a public meeting in Sissu village he called him “Himachal ka Chhokra (Himachal’s boy)”.

Chowdhury had used this phrase to take a swipe at Thakur after the Union minister had hit out at the Nehru-Gandhi family of the Congress, sparking protests from opposition members.

He later expressed his anguish over his remarks in a bid to defuse the crisis. PTI