Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma was questioned by the Himachal Pradesh State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau at its Shimla headquarters on 22 August in connection with a property-related case, officials and the legislator said.
Timing and setting
Sharma — a prominent BJP leader — arrived at the Vigilance Bureau around 4 pm, accompanied by party colleagues and supporters, and was interrogated for nearly two hours, the account said. The questioning took place during the opening days of the state Assembly's monsoon session.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legislator | Sudhir Sharma (BJP), Dharamshala MLA |
| Authority | Himachal Pradesh State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau |
| Location | Vigilance headquarters, Shimla |
| Date | 22 August |
| Duration of questioning | Nearly two hours |
Allegations of harassment and procedural concerns
Sharma said the summons and the timing of the questioning amounted to harassment and alleged it was intended to divert public attention from issues the Opposition planned to raise in the Assembly. He noted that the case in question was registered at the Vigilance police station in Dharamshala and that the investigating officer (IO) was based there, questioning why he had been called to Shimla.
"Whatever the Vigilance wanted to ask, they had already asked me earlier. I have given all the answers before and I have given them again today,"
Sharma also drew attention to a procedural inconsistency over service of the summon, saying he received a first summons dated 12 August only on the same day, while media reports had appeared on 11 August, underscoring his contention that proper process had not been followed.
Political context
Sharma described the move as part of an attempt by the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh to suppress the Opposition's voice during the monsoon session. He said this was the first instance of an MLA being called for questioning in the middle of a session and warned that such tactics would not continue indefinitely.
At the same time, the legislator maintained that he and other BJP leaders are law-abiding and would cooperate with the probe. "Whatever the facts are will come before the people of the state. There is nothing to hide," he said when speaking to the media and later to ANI.
What Sharma says he was asked and his response
- Sharma said items raised during questioning had already been addressed by him previously.
- He protested the jurisdictional choice of Shimla for the interrogation, given the case records and IO were in Dharamshala.
- He framed the summons as politically timed, coinciding with the monsoon session.
The Vigilance Bureau's public account of the interrogation was not available in the report. The legislator's comments indicate he intends to cooperate with investigators while contesting the timing and locus of the summons.
Implications for Assembly proceedings
The questioning of a sitting MLA during a legislative session raises questions about procedure and precedent. Sharma's statement that this was the first such instance during the session suggests the development could become a point of contention on the Assembly floor, both in terms of legislative business and the relationship between the executive and the Opposition.
Further developments, including any official response from the Vigilance Bureau or the state government, were not included in the report. The situation is likely to draw attention within the Assembly and from political observers as the monsoon session progresses.
Officials, the party and the Bureau may provide additional clarifications through formal channels as the inquiry continues.
