Refuting fresh charges of corruption that Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Arun Jaitley has laid against him, chief minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday said he would respond to the "highly defamatory" statement at appropriate time.
The CM's reaction was to a letter from Jaitley to the Prime Minister, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has demanded that Virbhadra be dismissed as head of a state. "It is an attempt to tarnish my image," the Himachal Pradesh CM told the media at Palampur, adding that former BJP chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was behind starting this campaign after feeling the heat of vigilance bureau inquiries.
"The vigilance inquiries against Dhumal are based on the Congress' charge sheet to the President and the governor," said Virbhadra, adding: "It was part of our election manifesto. I am not even on the charge-sheet committee and the inquiries are not motivated politically. The innocent need not worry, and the guilty will not be spared."
Virbhadra said he had never indulged in corruption in his five-decade political career. "Dhumal in his two terms as chief minister implicated me in false cases," he said, adding: "Every time, I came out clean." The CM said his statement was on the table of the House and, during the assembly's winter session, he had given all the answers to the media at Dharamsala.
{{/usCountry}}Virbhadra said he had never indulged in corruption in his five-decade political career. "Dhumal in his two terms as chief minister implicated me in false cases," he said, adding: "Every time, I came out clean." The CM said his statement was on the table of the House and, during the assembly's winter session, he had given all the answers to the media at Dharamsala.
{{/usCountry}}About the Sai-Kothi hydroelectricity project that was allotted to Venture Energy and Technology, transport minister GS Bali clarified that the project and all the exemptions were sanctioned during the BJP's regime. "The current government gave extension to the project on the Supreme Court orders, and cancelled it in November when the company failed to fulfil the terms," he said.