Jai Ram Thakur Criticises Congress, Thanks Centre for Health Projects; To Attend Mandi Shivratri Jaleb

Mandi, February 21, 2026: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, in a statement from Mandi, criticised the Congress over an alleged incident at an AI Impact Summit, accusing the party of disrespecting the nation. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre for approving a ₹1,617-crore JICA-supported project aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure across five medical colleges and 86 health institutions in the state. Thakur said that within a week, external assistance projects worth over ₹3,000 crore had received central approval and questioned the state government’s silence over central support. He further informed that he will attend the concluding Jaleb of the International Mandi Shivratri Festival along with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.