Health Minister draws flak for targeting CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 24

Coming out in defence of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his ministerial colleagues today accused the BJP of trying to use pressure tactics to destabilize the democratically elected Congress Government in the state and dishonour the mandate given by the people.

In a statement issued here today Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development Minister, Prakash Chaudhary, Excise and Taxation Minister and Karan Singh, Ayurveda Minister have termed the statement of Union Health Minister JP Nadda, demanding resignation of the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh an indication of BJP’s desperation and disregard towards t democracy.

They said some Union ministers at the Centre are misusing and pressurising Central investigating agencies against Virbhadra Singh at the behest of the state BJP leaders. “It is strange that three different Central agencies have been engaged to look into the income tax matter of Virbhadra Singh and an impression is being created as if there were a number of cases going on against him. The fact of the matter was that there was only one single case pertaining to Income Tax return which was lying before the Income Tax Department and appellate authorities,” they said.

They said the raids by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of the Chief Minister on the day of marriage of his daughter were politically motivated.

They wondered as to what was the urgency that the investigating agencies could not wait for the verdict of the court while the detailed inquiry report stands submitted by the same investigating agencies.

The ministers accused Nadda of raking up the issue to remain active in state politics and also please his political ‘friends’ at the Centre and State.

“If Nadda is actually so concerned about corruption, why he was mum on the serious corruption charges on a few chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states and ministers in the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre,” they quipped.

They said it was political hypocrisy of Nadda as he has not uttered even a single word on Vyapam scam and involvement of Rajasthan Chief Minister and Central External Affairs Minister in Lalitgate Issue where crores of rupees are involved. They advised Nadda to teach morality to his own party men who were facing serious charges of corruption in the HPCA scam, Bamloe scam, etc.

While strongly denouncing the BJP’s politics of vendetta and intolerance towards its political opponents, the ministers said the BJP leaders were indulging in malicious propaganda against the Congress Government but the people of the state were not going to be misled by them.