Shimla, Feb. 25 -- In a scathing attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the saffron party of politicising the revenue deficit grant (RDG) issue. The state government is staring at a deepening financial crisis with a loss of Rs.10,000 crore annually owing to discontinuation of RDG which constituted Himachal Pradesh's 12.7% of the budget came from RDG, which is second highest in the country. Referring to the fiscal challenge being faced by the state in wake of the decision to discontinue RDG, the CM said, "The previous government led by former CM Jai Ram Thakur had received the highest RDG. Despite this, the state's debt burden was not reduced. Instead, loans amounting to Rs.47,000 crore were taken and liabilities worth thousands of crores were left behind." "The Finance Commission has only noted it in its report. The Centre can provide RDG depending on the prevailing circumstances," he said. The CM, who on Tuesday returned from Delhi, said he had held detailed discussions on the matter with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi during his recent visit to Delhi. "Comparing Himachal with Kerala on the RDG issue was inappropriate, as RDG is granted under constitutional provisions to compensate for revenue deficits and does not adversely affect Kerala," he said. Appealing to the BJP for cooperation on the issue, Sukhu said, "The opposition did not appear willing to extend support". Commenting on the possibility of a protest at Jantar Mantar, he described it as part of a political strategy and said a decision would be taken after due deliberation. Hitting out at Congress, former CM and leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that entire cabinet and the chief minister visited Delhi to address Himachal's economic situation, but surprisingly, no one met with the Prime Minister or the Union finance minister. "The entire Congress cabinet remained busy meeting with their respective leaders and trying to fit their political equations. If Himachal receives any help, it will come from the central government, the PM, the FM, not from Congress leaders. Yet, no one has bothered to even meet them." Speaking on the AI summit issue, the LoP said, "Himachal Bhawan and Himachal Sadan are symbols of Himachal's prestige and identity; we cannot allow them to become a den of conspiracy and a den." Terming the late-night action by Delhi Police at Himachal Sadan "unconstitutional", Sukhu said that due information should have been given to the Delhi Resident Commissioner before any action was taken. According to the CM, Youth Congress workers had booked rooms at Himachal Sadan in the usual manner and made the required payments. "There was nothing unusual about the bookings," he said. Himachal BJP president Rajeev Bindal condemned the conduct of youth Congress workers during the recent international AI Summit, terming it a "deliberate attempt to malign India's global image," adding that the country would not accept any act that undermines national prestige for the sake of political mileage. Bindal, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that the protest staged during a high-profile global summit, attended by international diplomats, industry leaders and policymakers, reflected what he described as the Congress party's "deeply irresponsible and anti-national mindset." Raising concerns over reports that some of the individuals facing action in connection with the incident had stayed at Himachal Sadan in New Delhi, Bindal said the matter warrants serious scrutiny. "Himachal Pradesh is known for its patriotism and contribution to national service. If any state facility was used, directly or indirectly, in connection with such an incident, it is a deeply disturbing development and must be thoroughly examined," he said....