Day after being shot at, Himachal Pradesh Cong's ex-MLA accuses BJP of supporting attackers

Shimla, Mar 15 (PTI) A day after being attacked by some unidentified people in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur, former Congress MLA Bamber Thakur Saturday alleged that he was shot at by drug smugglers who had the support of local BJP legislator Trilok Jamwal.

He also alleged that Jamwal and the BJP were "protecting" the attackers.

Reacting to the allegations, the state BJP's media in-charge Karan Nanda accused Thakur of trying to gain "political mileage" out of the incident and tarnish the image of the Bilaspur MLA.

Jamwal condemned the attack on Thakur and demanded an impartial enquiry into the incident. He also threatened to call for a bandh in Bilaspur on Monday if the accused were not arrested by Sunday evening.

"If a former Congress MLA is not safe under the party's rule, what will happen to the common people?" the BJP MLA posed while claiming that a gang war was going on in Bilaspur and demanded action against them as well as the Chitta mafia.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu met Thakur on Saturday and assured him that stern action would be taken against the attackers.

The BJP took out a rally in Bilaspur on Saturday to protest against the attack on the former Congress MLA.

Thakur was attacked by four bike-borne assailants at his residence in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur on Friday afternoon. He was sitting in the courtyard of his wife's government accommodation when the attackers fired 12 rounds, police said.

He and his personal security officer were injured in the incident and taken to a hospital. Thakur suffered a bullet injury in his leg.

Talking to the reporters, Thakur, undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla, said, "The incident cannot occur without Trilok Jamwal's support. If I can be attacked at home under the Congress rule, I would surely be killed if the BJP was in power." "The chief minister needs to be serious," he said.

"I had organised a rally against drug smugglers and demanded that their properties be attached. And now Chitta smugglers attacked me," Thakur said.

The former BJP MLA claimed that his son was attacked two days before the last elections and the accused had political "protection".

Such anti-social elements should be strictly dealt with, he demanded. Thakur also informed reporters that he had been "followed for the past two to three months" and he had applied for a gun license. "But the file is still pending." Condemning the attack on Thakur, BJP MLA Jamwal alleged that the Congress government in the state has failed to control drug, mining and land mafia.

Addressing reporters here, Nanda said CCTV footage of the shooters was available and the Congress government in the state could get an enquiry conducted into the incident.

"Law and order have collapsed and the government is sleeping. Jungle Raj is prevailing in the state and neither the employees nor the leaders are safe. Border areas have become firing ranges," he said and claimed that 16 murders have been reported in the first 50 days of 2025.

After meeting Thakur, Chief Minister Sukhu said, "This is a very serious matter and police have been directed to take swift action against the perpetrators of the attack. Police have conducted raids overnight leading to the arrest of some suspects." "I have ordered a crackdown on drug mafia in a recent meeting and the state government will introduce bills in the ongoing budget session to impose stringent steps against organised crimes and drug networks," he added.

Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal said investigations into the attack on Thakur were underway. Some people have been detained based on evidence gathered, CCTV footage and inputs from social media, the police officer said.

"The accused are yet to be identified as they were from outside the state. The accused would be nabbed soon," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress workers and leaders held a candle march on Saturday evening in Bilaspur and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. PTI COR BPL NSD NSD

Source: PTI