None of my relatives in liquor trade: CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 27

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today refuted allegations that any of his family member or relatives were in any way associated with the liquor trade and said that the effective steps taken by the new Congress Government in Punjab against the drug mafia has helped contain drug trafficking in Himachal.

Replying to the discussion on the cut motion on Police and Home departments in the Assembly today, Virbhadra refuted allegations that any of his family members were in any way associated with the liquor trade. “The Opposition is in the habit of leveling baseless allegation but I can say with certainty that none of my relations or family members are associated with the liquor trade,” he said while intervening in the debate.

He defended the government move of setting up of HP Beverages Corporation Ltd. “Contractors boycotted the auction and tried to pressurize the government to defeat the entire purpose but the elimination of middlemen as liquor is being procured directly from the manufacturer,” he said.

He said there had been an overall decline in the crime graph in Himachal as compared to previous years as indicated by comparative statistics. “I don’t claim that crime is not happening but it has been contained due to better performance of the police,” he said. He admitted that the menace of drugs was an issue of concern which required constant vigil.

Initiating the debate, Mahender Singh said the law and order situation was grave as there were too many vacancies in the police department, which was affectedly its functioning. He along with Rajiv Bindal said the setting up of the HP Beverages Corporation was a scam in itself which must be probed.

Suresh Bhardwaj said the peaceful environs of Himachal were getting disturbed due to heinous crimes like kidnapping and murder. “A four-year-old child Yug Gupta and a youth Dhruv Lakhanpal went missing in Shimla and later their dead bodies were found as the police failed to trace them,” he said.

He lamented that the accused in the Yug murder case approached Supreme Court for shifting of the case out of Himachal but no state government counsel appeared there to oppose it. He said ISIS sympathizers were using HP as safe haven but police was clueless.

Jai Ram Thakur and Gobind Thakur said the Congress government was adopting double standards in dealing with anti social elements involved in crime. “While FIR is registered against those who burn effigy of the CM but there is no action when effigy of PM Modi is burnt,” said Jai Ram. Gobind said that action is taken against those who try to raise their voice against police injustice.

Others including Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Baldev Tomar, Virender Kanwar said liquor, mining, drug, land and forest mafia was flourishing with political shelter and the police was turning a blind eye to crimes by those associated with the Congress party.

As the opposition refused to withdraw the cut motion, it was put to voice vote.