Health Min denies involvement in campaign against CM Khanduri

Dehra Dun, Oct 8 (UNI) Uttarakhand Health Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal today denied involvement in the dissidents campaign against Chief Minister B C Khanduri.

Talking to UNI by phone from New Delhi this evening, Mr Pokhriyal said he would meet senior party leaders but refuted assertions that displeasure against the Chief Minister's style of functioning would be raised.

''I am not involved in any tirade against the Chief Minister'', Mr Pokhriyal told UNI.

Maj Gen (retd) Khanduri left for New Delhi today and speculations were rife that dissident legislators also left shortly to meet the top BJP brass to demand a leadership change.

Notably, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was not in New Delhi and the Health Minister was accompanied by several state ministers.

The rift between Uttarakhand's ruling BJP party started when as many as 26 BJP legislators met BJP president Rajnath Singh in the capital on August 10 and demanded the removal of Maj Gen (Retd) Khanduri.

The legislators, led by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, met Mr Singh at his residence to express displeasure at Maj Gen Khanduri's style of functioning.

Mr Rajnath Singh, while refusing to act against the Chief Minister, had immediately assured the rebel legislators to look into their demands after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, sources said.

Recently, the Chief Minister, during a press conference, admitted that he had ''made mistakes'' and he had no issues in amending himself.

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