Asha Kumari stays put

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 27

Trashing the land-grab charges against her as baseless, Congress incharge, Punjab affairs, Asha Kumari said today that she would continue in her new role, while daring the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to fight her politically instead of making an “issue out of a non-issue”.

“I am not going anywhere. I am not obliging anyone,” said the 61-year-old five-time Congress legislator from Himachal Pradesh, a day after land-grab accusations resurfaced to haunt her.

Asha’s appointment came days after the Congress was forced to relieve Kamal Nath as Punjab general secretary over his alleged role in the anti-Sikh riots.

Admitting that a Chamba court had this February sentenced her to one-year imprisonment in a case related to family property in Dalhousie, Asha said the Himachal High Court had stayed the sentence, suspending her conviction.

“The case relates to my father-in-law’s properties which my husband inherited and then I did. The transactions happened in 1975 when I wasn’t even married. Naturally, I had no role except inheriting my husband’s property. If that’s criminal, the whole of India is committing a crime. There is no corruption charge against me,” Asha told The Tribune after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and taking charge today.

She said Sonia didn’t even discuss the case and spoke only of the poll-bound Punjab. “Soniaji knows everything about the case,” said Asha, who today relinquished the charge of the AICC secretary for Haryana.