Uttarakhand: Congress MLA Harish Dhami assaults man with chair, throws mic at the crowd during Jauljibi fair

Image: Social Media

On Saturday, 14 November, a political confrontation erupted at the historic Jauljibi Fair in Pithoragarh district. A Congress MLA, Harish Dhami, threw a microphone, vandalised the stage and assaulted a man with the chair.

The incident occurred shortly after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 10-day fair, located near the India-Tibet border at the confluence of the Kali and Gori rivers, and left the venue. Videos circulating on social media show the Dharchula MLA angrily shouting at sound staff, throwing a microphone, and engaging in a heated exchange, while chairs and stage equipment were also tossed amid the commotion.

Harish Dhami, who is also the chairperson of the fair, alleged that his microphone was deliberately switched off when he attempted to speak after the Chief Minister’s departure. “I am the chairperson of this fair, yet I was not even given the chance to speak or present the demands of the local people to the chief minister,” he said. He claimed he wanted to raise serious local issues, including the recent death of an eight-year-old girl and concerns over road connectivity in the Kanar region.

The Congress backed its MLA, with party spokesperson Garima Dasauni accusing the Chief Minister and organisers of violating protocol by not allowing the local MLA, who was presiding over the programme, to address the event.

The BJP strongly condemned the MLA’s conduct, particularly the “abusive language” used against the Chief Minister, and demanded that an FIR be registered against him. Senior BJP leader Mahendra Singh Budiyal called the behaviour a sign of frustration over the Congress party’s weakening support base in the Dharchula constituency.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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