Minister Jagat Singh Negi: Probe shows BJP ‘conspired’ to topple Himachal Govt

Shimla, april 3

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi today claimed that three Independent MLAs have not resigned voluntarily but due to some pressure or inducements offered by the BJP.

“These three MLAs were under the custody of the BJP for a month before they submitted their resignation to the Speaker. They were taken from one place to another along with six disqualified Congress MLAs by the BJP. So, on our complaint, the Speaker is investigating the grounds for their resignation,” said Negi while addressing a press conference here today.

The three Independent MLAs — KL Thakur (Nalagarh), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra) and Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) — are demanding quick acceptance of their resignation. “Rumours are doing the round that these three MLAs had escaped from a hotel in Rishikesh, where they were taken after their initial stay in a Panchkula hotel. The CRPF, however, caught them and took them back to the hotel,” Negi claimed.

Negi further said the BJP’s hand in the conspiracy to topple the elected government had become clear following the police investigation into it. The police filed a case of criminal conspiracy to topple the government against Independent MLA Ashish Sharma, Rakesh Sharma, father of disqualified Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma, and others at the Boileauganj police station on March 10.

“It has become clear in the police investigation that the BJP was behind the entire conspiracy. The BJP used pressure and inducements to force these MLAs switch sides and kept them under its custody for a month in different hotels at various places. The people will not forgive the BJP for hatching the conspiracy to topple the democratically elected government,” said Negi.

The Revenue Minister also slammed the BJP for approaching the Governor to ask the Speaker to accept the resignation of the Independent MLAs. “It’s wrong on the part of the BJP to bring in Governor into this matter,” he said.

Negi alleged that the kind of politics the BJP was indulging in and the methods it was using to grab the power would be dangerous for democracy. “Such politics and tactics are dangerous for our democracy. If this continues, nothing will be done in the country as per the Constitution,” he said.