Leader of Opposition welcomes apex court ruling; says anti-cheating exam law reflects Modi government’s commitment to youth
Shimla | July 29: Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday termed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s verdict striking down the Himachal Pradesh Government Employees Recruitment and Conditions of Service Act, 2024 as a “slap on the Sukhu government’s unconstitutional policies.”
In a statement issued from Shimla, Thakur said the Supreme Court dismissed the state government’s Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court order that had already declared the legislation unconstitutional. He said the verdict came in the Devendra Kumar vs State of Himachal Pradesh & Others case and was delivered by a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta.
He alleged that despite suffering setbacks in court over employees’ seniority, the state government reintroduced the legislation during the Dharamshala winter session in 2024 and got it passed using its majority in the Assembly despite strong opposition from the BJP.
Thakur claimed the BJP had consistently maintained that the legislation was unconstitutional and would not withstand judicial scrutiny. He accused the Congress government of attempting to shift employees’ financial liabilities to future governments while portraying itself as employee-friendly.
The BJP leader further alleged that several decisions of the Sukhu government had already been struck down by courts, including laws relating to pension of rebel MLAs, the Water Commission, appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS), electricity tariff issues and matters related to Panchayat elections. He also questioned the expenditure incurred by the government on legal battles in higher courts.
“CM Blames BJP for Every Failure”
Jai Ram Thakur also criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, alleging that he has developed a habit of blaming the BJP for every setback. Referring to reports describing Sukhu as the wealthiest Chief Minister in North India, Thakur said the findings were based on the Chief Minister’s own election affidavit and had nothing to do with the BJP.
Welcomes Passage of Anti-Cheating Bill
The Leader of Opposition also welcomed the passage of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.
He said the legislation reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to transparency, accountability and protecting the interests of honest students. According to Thakur, the amendment will strengthen the examination system, curb paper leaks and ensure strict action against those involved in examination malpractices.
Congratulating the Prime Minister and the Central Government, Thakur said the legislation demonstrates the government’s resolve to safeguard the future of millions of young aspirants and reinforce the credibility of India’s public examination system.
