Shimla/Chandigarh, March 19 — Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that he has spoken to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann regarding the repeated vandalism of Himachal buses in Punjab. Sukhu said Mann assured him of strict action against the culprits.
The issue was raised in the Himachal Vidhan Sabha, where Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur stressed the need for serious measures to preserve the brotherhood between the two states.
The discussion came after two unidentified men attacked a Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus with sticks and stones in Kharar, Punjab, on Monday evening. The bus, en route from Chandigarh to Hamirpur, was intercepted by the assailants, who had their faces covered and fled in an Alto car after damaging the vehicle.
HRTC Driver-Conductor Union president Man Singh Thakur condemned the incident and warned that drivers would stop sending buses to Punjab if the attacks continued. “We cannot risk our lives and the safety of passengers. The Punjab government must take strict action against the attackers,” he said.
DSP Kharar Karan Sandhu said the miscreants shattered the bus windows near a flyover. Police reached the scene, ensured the safety of the passengers, and registered a case against unknown individuals. An investigation is underway.
The attacks on HRTC buses come in the wake of recent incidents where vehicles from Punjab were stopped in Himachal Pradesh. Two separate cases were reported where travelers from Punjab were allegedly targeted after vehicles carrying Bhindranwale flags were intercepted.
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