Senior Congress leader and Himachal chief minister, Vir Bhadra Singh said at Una today that the Congress was for transparent administration and this process had been adopted by his government during last five years. The Congress was against corruption and this endeavor of his party would continue and it would be his main plan during the ongoing election campaign of the party. He said that the Congress had adopted zero tolerance against the corruption and that was why action was taken against those who had amassed huge money through corrupt means during the last BJP regime.
Talking to reporters in Una today, he appealed to the state Bharatiya Janata Party to refrain from character assassination and making personal attacks against their rivals during campaigning. He said, while the Congress party believed in courtesy and politeness, the political traditions of the hill-state need to be maintained.
Sharply reacting to Dhumal’s remarks that CM’s hurry in signing the Hydel power MOUs during the election code of conduct smelt of corruption, Virbhadra Singh said it was a legal process. The units have deposited upfront money to the tune of 800 crores of rupees with the government and it was a legal binding of the latter to sign the MOUs.
Talking about BSP threat to the party, Virbhadra Singh said the BSP was not a new phenomenon in Himachal Pradesh. The party, he said has been contesting for different posts for the last many years without a single win ever. Since the party has neither any leadership nor any cadre here, the candidates in fray are those, who have been rejected by the BJP or the Congress parties. He said the social engineering as being talked about by the party is not applicable in Himachal Pradesh. The social, literary and financial status of dalits and OBCs here is far better than in Uttar Pradesh.
