{"id":7115,"date":"2025-10-13T17:21:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T17:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115"},"modified":"2025-10-13T17:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T17:21:57","slug":"priyanka-gandhi-slams-centre-for-step-motherly-treatment-to-himachal-sonia-gandhi-unveils-virbhadra-singhs-statue-in-shimla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115","title":{"rendered":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><h1><strong>Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shimla:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a poignant tribute to one of Himachal Pradesh\u2019s tallest leaders, the late Virbhadra Singh, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi today unveiled his statue at the historic Ridge Ground in Shimla. The event, marked by emotional speeches and political undertones, brought together the top brass of the Congress Party and state leadership in a show of unity and remembrance.<\/p>\n<p>Sonia Gandhi also visited a photo exhibition showcasing the life and legacy of the six-time Chief Minister, who was credited with shaping the modern political and developmental landscape of Himachal Pradesh.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7117\" src=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0050-716x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0050-716x1024.jpg 716w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0050-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0050-768x1098.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0050.jpg 895w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Speaking on the occasion, Congress General Secretary and Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lauded Virbhadra Singh\u2019s legacy, calling him a &#8220;true servant of the people&#8221; and \u201ca leader whose heart always beat for the welfare of Himachal.\u201d She emphasized her family\u2019s deep connection with the hill state, tracing it back to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. \u201cI not only have a home here in Shimla, but my heart belongs to these mountains,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Priyanka Gandhi used the platform to deliver a sharp critique of the Central Government, accusing it of meting out &#8220;step-motherly treatment&#8221; to Himachal Pradesh, particularly after the recent natural disasters that caused large-scale damage across the state. She alleged that despite repeated appeals by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Centre failed to extend any meaningful support to the affected families.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not just about politics\u2014it\u2019s about human lives. While hundreds of families were left homeless and devastated, the Centre chose to look the other way because the state is ruled by the Congress,\u201d she said. She praised CM Sukhu for personally visiting affected families and standing by them, contrasting it with what she termed as the Centre\u2019s indifference.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7116\" src=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0052-1024x527.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0052-1024x527.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0052-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0052-768x395.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0052.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>She also drew parallels between Mahatma Gandhi and Virbhadra Singh, highlighting his unwavering commitment to truth and public service. \u201cLike Bapu guided the nation, Virbhadra Singh guided Himachal Pradesh,\u201d she remarked. Priyanka reiterated that the Congress Party\u2019s strength lies in its dedication to people, not in social media posturing. She added that senior leader Rahul Gandhi embodies these principles by \u201cfearlessly speaking the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu welcomed Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi and recalled his close association with Virbhadra Singh over three decades within the Congress Party. Describing Singh as \u201cthe leader of roads, development, and public welfare,\u201d Sukhu credited the state\u2019s major developmental milestones\u2014including the IIT Mandi, IIM Sirmaur, and a central university\u2014to the unwavering support of the Gandhi family.<\/p>\n<p>Sukhu noted that Priyanka Gandhi\u2019s presence in the state has further strengthened this bond and even helped boost tourism. \u201cThe Congress legacy continues to shape the future of Himachal Pradesh,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<p>Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President and MP Pratibha Singh, wife of the late Virbhadra Singh, said the occasion was deeply emotional. She commended CM Sukhu for emulating her husband\u2019s simplicity and dedication to public service.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri called Virbhadra Singh \u201cthe architect of modern Himachal Pradesh,\u201d and praised his contributions to education, women\u2019s empowerment, and infrastructure development. \u201cHe had a unique emotional bond with the people. He would meet them late into the night, ensuring their concerns were heard,\u201d said Agnihotri. He also acknowledged the roles of Indira Gandhi and the first Chief Minister Yashwant Singh Parmar in shaping the state.<\/p>\n<p>Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of Virbhadra Singh, said the ceremony symbolized the deep love and respect people held for his father. He vowed to continue his father\u2019s legacy and serve the people with similar dedication. \u201cHe worked for employment, education, health, and roads. I strive to follow his ideals every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The event also saw Chief Minister Sukhu honour Sonia Gandhi, while Deputy CM Agnihotri honoured Priyanka Gandhi. It was attended by a host of senior Congress leaders, including state in-charge Rajni Patil, former in-charge Rajiv Shukla, co-in-charges Vidit Chaudhary and Chetan Chauhan, Sachin Pilot, Deepender Singh Hooda, cabinet ministers, MLAs, chairpersons of boards and corporations, and former ministers.<\/p>\n<p>The unveiling of Virbhadra Singh\u2019s statue served not just as a ceremonial event but as a reminder of the Congress Party\u2019s historical and ongoing influence in Himachal Pradesh, with clear political messages about governance, federal support, and leadership legacies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla.\u00a0 &nbsp; Shimla: &nbsp; In a poignant tribute to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" data-url=https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-himachal-news","category-latest-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#039;s Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#039;s Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla.\u00a0 &nbsp; Shimla: &nbsp; In a poignant tribute to [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Eagle News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0048.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"694\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115\",\"name\":\"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh's Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/\",\"name\":\"The Eagle News\",\"description\":\"Eagle News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/theeaglenews.in\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh's Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh's Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News","og_description":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla.\u00a0 &nbsp; Shimla: &nbsp; In a poignant tribute to [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115","og_site_name":"The Eagle News","article_published_time":"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1100,"height":694,"url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0048.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115","url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115","name":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh's Statue in Shimla. - The Eagle News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-13T17:21:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7115#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre for Step-Motherly Treatment to Himachal; Sonia Gandhi Unveils Virbhadra Singh&#8217;s Statue in Shimla."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/","name":"The Eagle News","description":"Eagle News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/theeaglenews.in"],"url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7119,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7115\/revisions\/7119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}