Tribune News Service
Mandi, October 20
Congress rebel and former Union Telecom Minister Sukh Ram called Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh a conspirator and accused that the money recovered in the CBI raid from his residence was that of the Congress party for election purposes. It was kept in his house on the direction of Virbhadra.
He said, “It was Sita Ram Kesari, treasurer of the Congress, and Virbhadra, who convinced me to stock the money at my house due to security concern as they both said there was not proper arrangement to keep it in the district Congress office.”
“Virbhadra has always blackmailed the Congress high command for self gain, he is now trying to establish his son and wife in state politics. He disgraced many leaders in the party, including my son former Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma,” he remarked.
“Virbhadra disgraced me during a public rally in Mandi by saying that ‘Aya Ram Gya Ram’.He is working like a dictator in the state Congress. He even did not allow me to participate in the Congress rally on October 7, which was addressed by Rahul Gandhi” he added. “A few days ago in an interview with a local vernacular, I said that my son Anil Sharma was fit for the job of the Chief Minister in the state, this irked Virbhadra and he left no stone unturned to humiliate Anil at every step and forced him to leave the party” he said. He said, “The decision to join the BJP was quite painful for me, but we have no choice. I would work for the BJP and try to win all seats in Mandi district.
In reply to a query he said “I always supported Virbhadra due to which he and his wife Pratibha Singh won the election from the Mandi parliamentary constituency. He added that I had launched Kaul Singh Thakur in state politics because his father helped me.”