'Bill on office of profit passed to help Sonia'

Shimla, May 18: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal today criticised the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for adopting a bill on exempting 46 offices from the purview of the office of profit, claiming the bill aimed to benefit Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Talking to reporters here, he said the move would only help Congress President and CPM MPs who were holding offices of profit.

Justifying the BJP's walkout from the Lok Sabha on the issue, Mr Dhumal alleged the bill was passed only to provide benefit to a few individuals.

He also accused HP University Vice Chancellor L R Verma for vitiating the academic atmosphere in the campus and blamed him for the deteriorating law and order situation there.

Ever since the present VC took over, the law and order situation on the campus had taken a turn for the worse and the teaching staff and the students were undergoing a harrowing time, he said.

Mr Dhumal said instead of rusticating a few student leaders for the recent violence on the campus, strict action should be taken against the VC.

Demanding that no punitive action should be taken against any university student, he said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's statements on the issue were only adding to the problems instead of cooling the tempers. Criticising the state government for failing to check the prices of essential commodities, he said the rich were getting richer and the poor poorer during the Virbhadra Singh government's tenure.

The former chief minister said the state executive committee of the party would meet here on June 13 and 14 to finalize its future strategy.

While the party office bearers would meet on June 13, the general house would hold its deliberations on June 14, he said, adding that the party would discuss organisational and political issues, besides other issues relating to the state.

UNI

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