After Himachal minister says no need for him to resign son threatens to contest against him

     Shimla, Jun 19 (PTI) Hours after Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar on Thursday said there was no need for him to resign as the issues being faced by his son regarding transfer and adjustments in his constituency had been resolved, his son took to Facebook again and threatened to contest against the minister if transfers of "BJP people" were not cancelled.
     "Neeraj had some issues regarding transfers and adjustment in the constituency; the matter was resolved. He is young and sometimes speaks in anger but the matter is resolved," Kumar told reporters here on Thursday, a day after his son Neeraj Bharti wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that his father will resign from his post.
     The minister said transfer is a big Pandora's box in all the departments, especially in education, and sometimes unworthy people get involved in transfers, tarnishing the image of the elected representatives as well as the government, he said.
     "I do not get involved in transfers as it is a criminal waste of time. Some of our workers have made transfers as their occupation. It has become a tradition that even when small workers meet the CM, they urge for transfer and sometimes the CM also discourages them," the minister said.
     Kumar, a six-time MLA and former member of Parliament, said he denounced making transfers as an occupation and stressed the need for a policy on transfer.
     However, a few hours later, the minister's son in another post on Facebook, said, "Transfers in Himachal Pradesh are also a part of the politics. When you are in the opposition and the employees associated with your party are transferred to far-off places, you tell them that when the government comes, we will adjust you. But when the government comes, leaders like you give statements -- we have not become MLAs or ministers for transfers and we do not give importance to transfers."
     He said, "Our Congress workers and I know how we have suffered during the previous BJP rule and now people openly wearing the BJP badge are being transferred in place of Congress workers. The compulsion of the chair must be yours, not mine," he said.
     Addressing his father, Bharti said he did not expect that he would "humiliate" him by giving such an interview.
     "I am fighting this battle openly on social media because this is a battle of thousands and lakhs of Congress workers and if the transfers of the BJP workers that have taken place are not cancelled, I will alone openly fight against you and your government. For now, enjoy your ministerial chair," he added.
     On Wednesday, Bharti wrote on his Facebook page that "Kal Chaudhary Chander Kumar mantripad se istifa denge. Kaam agar dalalo ke honge to mantri ban kar kya fayada" (Tomorrow Chaudhary Chander Kumar will resign from the ministerial post. If the work of middlemen is being done then what is the use of becoming a minister).
     Two hours later, he deleted the post and wrote that an assurance had been given and Kumar would speak with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
     Later in another post, Bharti said, "I had an argument with my father today regarding the Jawali assembly constituency represented by him and I told him to resign if works of the BJP are being done and also take suggestions from the Congress workers whether he should remain an MLA or not."
     "When some middlemen are taking money and getting works of the BJP people done in the Congress government, it is better to resign from the post. Talks will be held with the CM and it would be fine if infiltration of middlemen is stopped in the constituency, else resignation will be given," Bharti said.
     Kumar accompanied Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on their tour of the Theog assembly segment in Shimla district on Wednesday for the inauguration of a bus stand.
     Addressing a gathering, Kumar said both the chief minister and the deputy chief minister were fully committed to Theog's development. He also recalled the significant contributions of former minister Vidya Stokes and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh in shaping the region.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)