Shimla, Aug. 20 -- Amid the standoff between the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government and the Raj Bhawan over the appointment of vice-chancellors at two agricultural universities, the assembly on Tuesday rejected governor-cum-chancellor Shiv Pratap Shukla's proposal to amend the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture and Horticulture University Act, 2024, in line with the Centre's Model Act in the absence of the opposition BJP in the House. The Himachal Pradesh Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry University (Amendment) Bill, 2024, that was passed in September 2024 was sent for the approval of the governor, but he recently sent it back with objections. The governor recommended that as chancellor, he should directly appoint vice-chancellors, with inputs from a nominee, including an expert from central institutions such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The rejection of these amendments effectively nullifies this suggestion and keeps the power balance tilted toward the state government. On Tuesday, state agriculture minister Chander Kumar tabled amendments to Section 4(1) and a new Section 4(3) on the lines of the central framework and sought to strengthen the governor's hands in the appointment of vice-chancellors. But in the absence of the BJP MLAs, the House turned down the proposal through a voice vote. After this Chander Kumar tabled the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry University (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (Bill No. 14 of 2023) for reconsideration, which was approved by the House without any amendment with a voice note in the BJP's absence. The Bill provides that the governor shall appoint the V-Cs on the "aid and advice" of the government. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania then ruled that the Act would remain in its original assembly-approved form, as passed last September. State govt, governor at loggerheads On July 21, Raj Bhavan issued an advertisement for the appointment of the vice-chancellors of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, and Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar Horticulture and Forestry University, Nauni. On August 12, the state government withdrew the advertisement declaring any action taken under it "null and void" bringing the state government and Raj Bhavan at loggerheads. Instead on August 13, Raj Bhavan issued a detailed order through which the governor restored the July 21 advertisements for both universities and extended the application deadline to August 18. He maintained that the chancellor, vested with statutory powers under Section 24 of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, is the sole competent authority to initiate the V-C appointment process. On August 14, the Himachal Pradesh high court stayed the Raj Bhavan's advertisement. Governor Shukla insisted that under the 1986 Universities Act, the chancellor alone has the authority to initiate V-C appointments and is not bound by cabinet advice, citing Supreme Court precedents. In contrast, advocate general Anup Rattan, representing the state, informed the high court that the secretary of the governor does not have the right to issue a notice for the recruitment of vice-chancellor, rather the notice should be issued by the administrative heads of the agriculture and horticulture departments. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced a boycott of revenue and horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi. As part of the boycott, the saffron party Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have decided not to ask any questions or listen to his statements inside the House of Jagat Singh Negi, who holds portfolios of Revenue, Tribal affairs and Horticulture. The ruckus was triggered by remarks made by Negi during the recent disaster in Seraj, which the BJP alleged were "insensitive and derogatory." The BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raised the matter in the House, saying the minister had made "mocking and inappropriate" comments at a time when people were in distress due to the disaster. "The minister should not have made such remarks during this time of crisis. The opposition has decided that we will not ask him any questions and whenever he speaks, we will walk out of the House," Sharma told media persons outside the Vidhan Sabha. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, said, "The opposition would not tolerate what he called the minister's "nonsense." "The opposition cannot listen to the rubbish of the minister. That is why we staged a walkout," Thakur said, accusing Negi of hurting the sentiments of the disaster-affected people. The protests intensified after Minister Jagat Singh Negi hit back at the BJP on the floor of the House, accusing the opposition of double standards. "The BJP talks of the dignity of the House but indulges in vote theft and insulted the national flag in Seraj. The insult in Seraj was not of me but of the Tricolour. The opposition is breaking democratic traditions and using unparliamentary language. I am not afraid of their threats. I will continue to respond on the basis of the Constitution and truth. Whether the opposition wants to listen or not, that is their choice-but the opposition will be answered with a stone for every brick," Negi while talking to media persons outside the assembly. The BJP MLAs shouted slogans and staged repeated walkouts, even as the treasury benches accused them of running away from debate. While speaking to media, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu strongly defended his minister saying "The BJP is targeting Jagat Singh Negi only because he speaks the truth. He is one of the most effective ministers in the cabinet". Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Sukhu added, "Walking out three or four times in an hour shows how directionless the opposition has become. This only shows their level of frustration. The BJP is divided into five factions, which is clearly visible inside the House today." Commotion and uproar was witnessed during the ongoing monsoon session of Himachal Pradesh assembly on Tuesday as the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government and the BJP sparred over the Himcare scheme. The Mukhya Mantri Himachal Health Care Scheme (HIMCARE) is a health insurance scheme in the state that provides cashless treatment coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year per family. Lashing out at the BJP on the issue of the Himcare health scheme, the chief minister accused the previous BJP government of misusing public money. "The BJP misused Himcare funds, squandered them on private hospitals, and created irregularities in billing. We have already released Rs 550 crore for the scheme and will ensure that poor and needy patients get treatment," Sukhu said while speaking in the House in response to the question of BJP MLA from Nachan in Mandi district, Vinod Kumar. Dissatisfied with the government's reply on the Himcare scheme in the state Assembly on Tuesday, the Opposition staged a noisy protest and left the House, accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of ruining the free healthcare facility started by the previous BJP regime. The uproar began during the Question Hour when BJP MLA Vinod Kumar raised the issue, alleging that under the Himcare scheme, people were not receiving treatment benefits in hospitals and were being forced to mortgage their valuables to pay for medical expenses. "When questions are asked, the government says the scheme is running, but the reality in hospitals is completely different," he charged. Responding to the allegations, Health Minister Dhaniram Shandil said that the scheme was burdened with pending liabilities of Rs 364 crore. As the chief minister stood to speak about prevailing corruption in the Himcare scheme during the previous BJP government led by Jai Ram Thakur, the BJP MLAs amid loud sloganeering moved out of the house. "Large-scale irregularities were seen in the scheme and the present government was trying to rectify," said CM while adding, "The scheme was marred with corruption and Himcare is very much in operation in the state. We have started mapping and we are improving the same." While speaking to the media outside the assembly, Jai Ram Thakur accused the government of shutting down free treatment for the poor. In Himachal Pradesh, beneficiaries of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Housing Scheme will also be included in the BPL list. Apart from this, patients suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS, orphans up to the age of 27 years and 40% disabled people will also be included in the BPL list. This was shared by Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Aniruddh Singh before the house. To encourage local artists, deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri apprised the House that 5,850 local artists performed in various fairs organised across the state. Agnihotri said that the department has already given guidelines to give preference to local artists in the fairs of the state. He said that artists from the country and abroad come to Rampur's Lavi Fair, Kullu's International Dussehra, Chamba's Minjar, Mandi's Shivratri....