Graft charges against CM: Cong seeks probe

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 14

Even as the senior BJP leadership has chosen to remain silent on the letter containing corruption charges going viral on the social media, the demand for an independent probe into the issue is gaining momentum.

HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore today said the allegations must be inquired into.

“There is no smoke without fire and if the BJP has nothing to fear, then why there is complete silence on the issue,” he said. “As the allegations have been levelled against the CM and ministers, an impartial inquiry into the matter is required,” said Rathore.

Though police investigation to find out the source of the letter containing allegations was under way, it is essential that a probe into the allegations is ordered. “It is not important who is behind the letter, what is more important is to find out the veracity of the charges,” he said.

The fact that a former minister and senior BJP leader, who was questioned, had said he was being targeted showed that there was infighting in the BJP.

The Congress chief said the letter which had gone viral was a reflection of factionalism plaguing the BJP. “There seems to be a fight for supremacy within the BJP with there being a demand from within the party to field former CM PK Dhumal from Dharamsala,” he said.

The demand for Dhumal shows that workers in Kangra and Hamirpur want to see him in a position of prominence.

He said the BJP was divided into three factions with former CM Shanta Kumar too being unhappy with the performance of the government. “The manner in which the Chief Minister and ministers maintained distance from Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur only proves that the ruling BJP is facing factionalism,” said Rathore.

Prior to this, former minister and sitting Congress MLA from Naina Devi Ram Lal Thakur too had demanded a probe into the allegations.

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"There is no smoke without fire and if the BJP has nothing to fear, then why there is complete silence on the issue. As the allegations have been levelled against the CM and ministers, an impartial inquiry into the matter is required."— Kuldeep Rathore, HPCC chief