Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speaks in the state legislative assembly during the budget session, in Shimla on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)The second phase of the Budget Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly resumed on Wednesday on a stormy note as Opposition BJP legislators submitted a “breach of privilege” notice against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, accusing him of misleading the House by making false claims. Sukhu, however, hit back at the Opposition for “misleading the people of the state to vent their frustration”.The House reconvened after 28 days to raucous shouting by the BJP MLAs, who marched toward the Speaker’s chamber to hand over the notice under Rule 75.Led by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Opposition MLAs intensified their attack on Sukhu, alleging the chief minister consistently made “false and misleading statements both inside and outside the House in violation of constitutional norms”.In the notice, they accused the chief minister of “repeatedly misleading” the Assembly and the public over the past three years.Thakur told reporters that the chief minister informed the House on August 26, 2025, that the government raised loans amounting to Rs 26,830 crore and repaid worth Rs 8,253 crore, and made a provision of Rs 10,581 crore in 2025-26 for loan repayment.“On February 17, the chief minister informed the House that his government raised Rs 23,000 crore and repaid Rs 26,000 crore. On February 18, Sukhu told the House that the government raised Rs 35,482 crore over the past three years and returned Rs 27,043 crore,” the LoP said.Thakur asked how it was possible to repay a loan of Rs 19,000 crore when the provision for 2025-26 was only Rs 10,581 crore.Story continues below this adHitting back at the Opposition for “misleading” the people of the state, Sukhu told the media outside the House, “Jai Ram Thakur said he had met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG). I want to ask him if he was going to meet the Finance Minister, then why did he not take us along?”“The LoP is under intense pressure because their MPs in Delhi have repeatedly been complaining to the BJP high command that the Opposition in Himachal was not doing anything effective against the state government,” Sukhu said.The chief minister said, “The allegations against the government are the result of the LoP’s frustration. It is on record that schemes initiated under the BJP government are being funded, more than the BJP, the incumbent government.”Sukhu advised Jai Ram “not to take things to your heart and avoid getting angry”.Probe against ex-DGP, Shimla SP underwayStory continues below this adIn a reply in the House, Sukhu informed that a probe committee constituted to investigate the allegations of indiscipline and misconduct against former DGP Atul Verma and Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi is yet to submit its findings. The probe was ordered following the mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) chief engineer Vimal Negi. The committee was constituted on May 28, 2025. Although the committee was bound to submit the report within seven days, it has yet to conclude. Sukhu informed the House that different probe committees constituted by the state government in the last three years have submitted their reports in nine out of 10 matters.Discussions on Gov’s addressThe House also initiated discussions on the Governor’s address on Wednesday. Former Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla had just read two paragraphs of his speech, prepared by the state government, and said that his “constitutional duties don’t allow me to read this thoroughly” on February 16. On Wednesday, when ruling party members spoke in favour of the Governor’s speech, they said the Governor read the speech in merely three to four minutes. LoP Jai Ram Thakur said, “The Governor read the speech to the extent of how much development had taken place in the state in the past three years.”Speaker says ‘maintain decorum’Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania told the elected representatives to maintain decorum in the House. Without referring to any particular instance, Pathania said certain instances came into the notice which were not as per the decorum of the House. Pathania also told the House that if the decorum was not maintained, he would have to initiate proceedings. Speaker urged members of the Treasury benches and the Opposition to cooperate for the smooth functioning of the House.