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Monday July 13, 1998

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Congress MLAs
trade charges
HAMIRPUR, July 12 — Differences surfaced among Congressmen at a meeting of the district unit of the party here yesterday. The meeting was presided over by the district president of the party, Mr Bhagat Ram Karohta. The meeting lasted about six hours.About 80 party workers and four former MLAs, including Prof N.C. Prashar, Mrs Anita Verma, Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania and Mr Manjeet Singh Dogra were also present...

BJP blamed for price hike

Cong MLAs trade charges
From Our Correspondent
HAMIRPUR, July 12 — Differences surfaced among Congressmen at a meeting of the district unit of the party here yesterday. The meeting was presided over by the district president of the party, Mr Bhagat Ram Karohta. The meeting lasted about six hours.
About 80 party workers and four former MLAs, including Prof N.C. Prashar, Mrs Anita Verma, Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania and Mr Manjeet Singh Dogra were also present.
All former MLAs traded charges against one another for their defeat in the Vidhan Sabha elections. They alleged that the main cause of the party's debacle in the election was infighting. At one stage the temper ran high and two of the leaders virtually came to blows. However, due to intervention by the senior partymen, the clash was averted.
The meeting also rejected the resignation offer by the district president of the party, Mr Bhagat Ram Karohta. Earlier, he offered his resignation following his opposition by a section of partymen. These members demanded that any youngman be given the responsibility of running the party and Mr Karohta be removed for his failure to take the party forward. The workers in general disfavoured the idea and added that since Mr Karohta was an elected president, it was up to the party high command to take action regarding the post of the district president.
The meeting blamed the central and state governments for their failure to curb the price rise and helping the hoarders. The party demanded immediate steps to check in the price rise.
Through a resolution, the party thanked Ms Sonia Gandhi for appointing Mr Sat Mahajan as the state president of the party.
The party mourned the death of Mr Sant Ram, former HP Congress president. A two minutes silence was observed as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

BJP blamed for rising prices
From Our Correspondent
MANDI, July 12 — Former Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Thakur Kaul Singh, said today that the rising prices of essential commodities had made the life of the common man miserable.
He said during the short BJP rule the prices of onion potatoes, vegetables and vegetable oil had gone beyond the reach of the common man. He said onion which used to be sold at a price ranging between Rs 2 and 5 a kg was being sold at Rs 20 a kg. In the Lahaul valley the price of onion was Rs 40 a kg. The same was the case of vegetables. Similarly vegetable oil was being sold at the rate of Rs 800 per tin and above. Its price about four months ago was Rs 550 per tin, he said.
He said the current political instability at the Centre had made the matters worse. The performance of the BJP at the economic front was miserable because the top leaders were not getting time to solve the challenge of inflation as its coalition partners were creating new problems every day.
The former Speaker came down heavily on the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, for dancing at the tunes of Mr Sukh Ram who had been black mailing the government since its formation. He wondered how could

a government formed with the support of Sukh Ram wipe out corruption.