Sonia's remarks on Kangra being distorted, CM

Shimla, Oct 31 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said that congress president Sonia Ghandhi's remarks at a rally at Dharmshala yesterday were distorted by vested interests to create a wrong impression that she had said that Kangra was being discriminated against.

Adddressing a press conference here, the Chief Minister clarified that Ms Gandhi had in fact said that 'some people in Kangra had a feeling that they were being ignored and that she would ask the Chief Minister to take steps so that such feeling did not not persist'.

He said ''having a feeling of being ignored'' and ''facing discrimination'' were entirely different in content and substance and the remarks of Ms Gandhi were distorted out of context.

Replying to a question, he said he would bring a white paper on develpment of merged areas of Himachal since November 1, 1966 to put the record straight.

Kangra and other merged areas of the state had witnessed unprecedented development after their merger with Himachal on November 1, 1966.

Mr Singh said the BJP had been raising the bogey of discrimination with merged areas during elections to gain political mileage and some Congressmen also raised the bogey of discrimination to fool the people.

UNI XC JN PA RK2102