No impact of Dhumal-CM meeting on session: MLA

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 27

The recent meeting between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal is unlikely to have any impact on the forthcoming winter session of Himachal Assembly starting at Dharamsala from November 30. An indication to this affect was given by Ravinder Ravi former minister and BJP MLA from Dehra.

Ravi is a prominent leader of the Dhumal camp. While talking to The Tribune, he said the BJP would forcefully raise issues like CBI cases against the Chief Minister, lack of development in the state, corruption and rising law and order problem during the forthcoming winter session of assembly. “We have already given notices to the Speaker of Himachal Assembly for raising the said issues during the forthcoming session,” he said.

“The six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is very canny. Every time just before the Assembly session he raises issues that could divert attention from corruption cases against him. However, this time the BJP legislators are fully prepared. We would counter the ruling party with facts on each and every issue,” Ravinder Ravi said.

Ravi indicated that the BJP was unlikely to relent over the issue of corruption against the Chief Minister after his meeting with the Leader of the Opposition.

During the last more than two years all the Assembly sessions have been marred by strong opposition by the BJP. The BJP had been consistently staging walkouts from the House and holding protests during the session.

However, this time speculation was rife that efforts have been made to ensure that Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal sink their differences. Recently, both the leaders had a meeting at residence of the Chief Minister.

The meeting had perplexed most of the BJP leaders who were unaware of the development. Some of the leaders had also expressed displeasure at the meeting. They had alleged that while on one hand they were being asked to organize a rally at Dharamsala during winter session on December 2 to highlight the corruption cases against Virbhadra Singh, on the other an impression was being sought to be created that truce has been reached between Virbhadra Singh and Dhumal.

Ravinder Ravi said the BJP would not relent on its campaign of exposing corruption cases against the Chief Minister and would demand his resignation. The BJP would also raise a host of other issues with facts during the session. He indicated that the session would be stormy.

The winter session of Himachal Assembly would be organized from November 30 to December 4. Most of members of the Himachal Assembly are likely to come to Dharamsala by December 29.

Says Dehra to get CUHP 

KANGRA: Former IPH Minister and sitting BJP MLA from Dehra Ravinder Ravi said the Central University of Himachal Pradesh would be set up at Dehra and the foundation stone for the university be laid shortly. Ravi said the state government was keeping the people of Dharamsala and Dehra in the dark on the issue and said the university had become the victim of political vendetta.  The BJP MLA was critical of Chief Minister Virbhdra Singh  for his silence over the issue. He said 2,600 kanals had already been transferred to the Central University  and now stone-laying ceremony was to be performed. Ravi said he, along with Vikram Thakur, BJP MLA, Jaswan Pragpur, will meet Union Minister for Human Resource Development soon. In view of the partisan attitude of the Chief Minister towards different parts of the state, the BJP has decided to launch an agitation ‘Virbhadra Singh Hatao-Pradesh Bachao’ and on the first leg of the programme, a rally will be held at Dharamsala on December 2. — OC