Dhumal takes a dig at Congress

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 24

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal today stated that the rift within the ruling government had come to the fore.

He said ministers were divided over a number of issues and that the CM kept cancelling announcements made by the former.

“All this illustrates that coordination between government functionaries is at its lowest ebb,” he said.

Dhumal was at Dharamsala to launch the mass contact programme of the BJP. He held a press conference at the hotel owned by former BJP minister Kishan Kapoor.

Answering mediapersons’ queries on the Dharamsala rape case, Dhumal said someone from the party might have spread the rumours that went viral on the social media. “The incident might be the fallout of the rift within the Congress,” he said.

Dhumal said it was a shameful act and sought action against the culprits.

The former CM demanded a CBI inquiry into the rape incident. He said when the state police failed to crack the case, a Special Investigation Team was formed.

The probe into the case is still on as the CM had issued a statement terming the entire episode a conspiracy. “This indicates that there is something fishy and only the CBI can find out the truth,” he said.

He alleged that while the police were investigating the case, the CM had given a clean chit to the Youth Congress workers, including his son who is the Youth Congress president, in the case of attack on the BJP office in Shimla in which a party worker had lost his eyesight.

The government should hand over the case to the CBI for an impartial probe in the Dharamsala rape case, Dhumal said.

He alleged that various mafias were ruling the roost in the state in the present Congress regime.

On the party’s nation-wide mass outreach programme, Dhumal said the BJP had become the largest party in India and world with more than 11 crore members.

“We have the highest number of MPs and MLAs in 13 states,” said Dhumal.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the reason why a large number of people joined the party.

“Our workers will turn them into party activists. The party will maintain a life-long relationship with the members,” he said.

“The Union government has achieved many milestones by implementing public-oriented schemes, including Jan Dhan Yojana, Insurance Scheme or Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao campaign,” he said.

He took a dig at the Congress for its “Padyatra” against the land acquisition bill. Dhumal said those who never cared for farmers were now raising a hue and cry.