Cong denial proves charges against Dhumal baseless:BJP

Shimla, Nov, 5 (UNI) Reacting strongly to the affidavit by Congress leaders denying having made corruption charges against then Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP today demanded a ''public apology'' from them claiming that the affidavit had proved that Congress had won 2003 polls by propagating ''false and baseless charges of corruption against the then BJP state government''.

Addressing media persons here today, BJP spokesperson, Randhir Sharma said that the affidavit filed by Congress leaders, Moti Lal Vohra and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, in a defamation case filed by the Mr Dhumal against these leaders, stated that the allegations against Mr Dhumal, of owning over Rs 25 crore property in Jalandhar in Punjab by corrupt means, ''were not essence of their speech and was the result of divergent, inconsistent and imprecise reports presented by the media".

''This has confirmed that the corruption charges against the senior leader of BJP and former chief minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, were false and baseless'', Mr Sharma said.

''Congress has accepted that they had misguided the public of the state and had gained the mandate on fraud campaigning'', he said, demanding that Central and State leaders of the Congress should express ''public apology'' for misguiding people of the state and for maligning the ''honest image'' of Mr Dhumal.

Mr Sharma charged that tenure of the present Congress led state government was full of corruption and anti-people policies. ''Many court verdicts against the various policies of this government have already proved that BJP's charges are not hypothetical'', he said.

He also demanded that assembly election in the state should be conducted under the Presidential rule alleging the state government was continuously violating model code of conduct.

''The officials who have been given service extension are working as the agents of the Congress party, he alleged.

''BJP demands that State Election Commission should immediately direct these officials to perform their duty impartially'', Sharma said.

The BJP would also urge the Election Commission of India to not give any permission to the state government regarding signing of Hydropower Project MOU, he added.

UNI