Question BJP leaders who allured rebels, Cong to CBI

Tribune News Service

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Dehradun, May 22

Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay today dared the CBI to question BJP leaders who are said to have offered money to buy Congress rebel legislators. Upadhyay was reacting to the summon issued by the CBI to Chief Minister Harish Rawat to appear on May 24 to join the investigation into the CD sting.

Harish Rawat was shown in the CD allegedly offering money to buy rebel MLAs’ support.

Upadhyay, while addressing mediapersons at Rajeev Bhavan, accused the BJP-led Central government of denting the clean image of Chief Minister Harish Rawat. “The CBI is working under the influence of the Central government. An unbiased probe into the corruption charges levied on political leaders of the state should be conducted. BJP political heavyweights offered Rs 700 crore to buy Congress rebels,” he said.

He said the the nine Congress rebel MLAs joining the BJP would have no impact on the Congress. “Congress candidates will give a tough fight to rebels. We will win the next Assembly elections slated for January 2017,” he said.

The state Congress president said a committee comprising three Cabinet ministers had been formed to carry out a probe into all land deals that took place since Congress gained power in the state. A delegation of Congress leaders will meet Chief Minister Harish Rawat soon to urge him to make reports of all commissions.

Meanwhile, Upadhyay accused Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay of not informing the district administration before supporting entry of Dalits into Silgur Devta Temple under Chakrata development block in Dehradun, which had resulted in a scuffle between him and villagers on May 20.