Dhumal's defamation case fixed for May 5

Shimla, Apr 7 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora's statements against him before the last assembly elections had adversely affected the BJP's prospects at the hustings.

He made this statement in a local court here during his cross examination in a defamation case filed by him against Mr Singh and Mr Vora.

Mr Dhumal also denied former Punjab chief minister counsel's suggestion that no defamatory statements were made against him by Mr Singh and Mr Vora.

The former Himachal Pradesh chief minister had filed a defamation case against Mr Singh and Mr Vora for alleging that he had amassed huge wealth by corrupt means at a rally in Hamirpur in 2003.

''The vilification campaign by the Congress leaders had maligned my image in public as a number of newspapers carried the report the next day,'' he had said in his complaint.

The court has been fixed the case for May 5.

UNI