Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called Union Minister Anurag Thakur “Himachal
ka chhokra”, an apparent reference to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary’s
remarks for the young Himachal Pradesh leader in the Lok Sabha last month.

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During the
Monsoon Session of the Parliament, Chowdhary – the leader of Opposition in the
Lok Sabha – took a potshot at Thakur by calling him “Himachal ka chhokra” (translating
to Himachal’s boy) during heated a debate on the PM CARES Fund.

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Thakur tore
into the Nehru-Gandhi family, alleging them of misappropriating funds the Prime
Minister’s National Relief Fund while emphasising that the PM CARES Fund was
“completely transparent.”

In
response, Chowdhary called him “Himachal ka chokkra”, adding “aaye balak tuh
yeh galti mat kar (Oh boy, please don’t make this mistake)”.

PM Modi used
the term endearingly during the inauguration of the Atal Tunnel in Himachal’s
Rohtang, where Thakur was present on the dais as his colleague from the union
council of ministers.

The Prime
Minister called him “Himachal nu Chhokro” at Rohtang and later, at public meetings
in Sissu village and Solang Valley, called him “Himachal ka Chokkra”.

The strategically
important Atal Tunnel will crucially provide all-year connection between Manali
and the Lahaul-Spiti valley. It will also reduce travel time from Manali to Leh
by up to five hours.