BJP announces statewide campaign for CM’s ouster

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 6

The state unit of the BJP will launch “Virbhadra hatao, Pradesh bachao” abhiyan in the state for pressing the demand for dismissal of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh facing corruption charges.

In pursuance of the decision taken by BJP legislature party at its meeting here yesterday to start a statewide campaign for the ouster of the Chief Minister following registration of an FIR by the CBI in disproportionate assets case and subsequent raids at his residences, the party announced to launch a two-month-long “Virbhadra Hatao, Pradesh Bachao” campaign from October 8.

“The BJP would launch statewide campaign for the ouster of Virbhadra Singh covering all 68 Assembly constituencies and organise demonstrations and rallies from October 8 to October 25. Memorandums seeking sacking of Virbhadra Singh would be sent to Governor from all constituencies”, BJP chief whip Suresh Bhardwaj and state BJP general Secretary Randhir Sharma said in a joint statement here today.

In the second phase from October 25 to November 10, rallies would be organised in all 17 organisational districts of the BJP addressed by state leaders to nail the lies of the Congress and to apprise the people of rampant corruption in the Congress and attempts of the Congress High Command to cover up and shield” corruption.

A “maha rally” would be organised in Shimla after November 15, which would also be addressed by national leaders to build pressure for removal of Virbhadra Singh, they added.

Refuting the charge of the Chief Minister that the NDA government was wreaking political vendetta against him and implicating him in false cases by misusing the CBI, the BJP leaders said the case pertained to the time when Singh was a Union minister in the UPA government and the BJP was in the Opposition.

They said that the Delhi High Court had asked the CBI to investigate the case against Singh during the UPA regime but the Congress leaders are misleading the general public on the facts and even the Himachal High Court provided no relief to the Chief Minister who had sought quashing of the FIR.