Shimla: New Year eve found Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh fending alleged charges of bribery and corruption as he rushed to Delhi today to offer an explanation to Congress high command and its vice president Rahul Gandhi over the contentious issue.
Only yesterday, Arun Jaitley, opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, had alleged that Virbhadra Singh and his family having taken a loan from a company that was unable to meet the conditionalities for setting up a hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh but was given an unexplained extension to fulfill the requirements, was an open and shut case of corruption.
Led by BJP National Yuva Janta President Anurag Thakur today held a protest demonstration outside Rahul Gandhi’s residence in Delhi, demanding action against the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.
Shimla city was abuzz with much speculation after the helicopter ferrying the chief minister landed at Annadale helipad in the late afternoon and after taking two ministers Mukesh Agnihotri and Sudhir Sharma onboard headed to Delhi.
On arriving in Delhi, Virbhadra Singh released an 8 page statement, rebutting the charges leveled by Jaitley.
“Frustrated BJP leaders are fabricating false stories and twisting and tampering facts to suit their convinence. They have been waging the same old issues pertaining to my income tax return and loan taken by my family, which have been replied and clarified time and again and there is nothing material or new in them” Singh said.
Fluid dynamics over corruption and power politics, altered by the AAP breakthrough in the Delhi Assembly polls, has both BJP and Congress trying to clean the stables in the run up the coming summer general parliamentary polls in the country.
Jaitley had also let the media know yesterday that he had written both to CBI and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and submitted documents, pointing out that the family of Virbhadra Singh held shares in Tarini Infrastructure, a subsidiary company of promoter Vakamulah Chandrashekar, whose another company is alleged to have been granted undue favours for setting up a small hydropower project in Chamba district.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has strongly refuted the bribery and corruption charge, termed it derogatory and as smear campaign to malign a political career spanning over 50 years. He has also threatened to take appropriate legal action against the persons leveling corruption charges against him.
Just over a year ago, 24 December, 2012 to be precise, a trail court in Shimla thrown out a corruption case (the infamous CD Case) against Virbhadra Singh and paved the way for him taking oath for the record 6th term in the hill state.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
