BJP's corruption charges baseless and misleading: Harsh Mahajan

Shimla, Mar 10 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Harsh Mahajan today termed charges of corruption leveled against him by the BJP as ''baseless and misleading'' and accused them of ''resorting to such tactics to divert the peoples' attention from widespread development during four years of Congress rule in the state''.

All charges against the department and Himachal Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) were false and misleading and made with an intention of diverting the peoples' attention from their internal wrangling, he said in a release here.

Refuting large irregularities in the purchase of veterinary medicines, Mr Mahajan said they were purchased by their generic names after inviting tenders and the purchases were only made through HP Agro Industries Corporation to whom the department sends its list of required medicines.

He said since medicines were accompanied by test reports during their deliveries, the BJP charges were therefore ''baseless and misleading''.

Refuting other corruption charges leveled against him and HIMUDA, in the BJP's charge sheet submitted to State Governor V S Kokje on Tuesday, he said the charges had only been leveled to gain political mileage that they were unlikely to get.

UNI