Dhumal dares Virbhadra to file affifavit on CD issue

Shimla, May 31 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal today dared Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to file an affidavit declaring that the contents of the CD released by former Tourism Minister Vijai Singh Mankotia were false.

''The CD has exposed the true face of the Chief Minister who had so far been hiding his corruption under the garb of so-called crusade against corruption,'' he said in a release here.

Not coming out with an affidavit would mean an indirect acceptance of the veracity of the allegations, he said.

The former Chief Minister claimed ''deliberate silence'' on the part of Mr Singh was nothing more than accepting the corruption charges, which have been levelled against him during his present tenure.

Demanding Mr Singh's resignation on moral grounds, he said both the Chief Minister and his MP wife should not attend the Assembly and Parliament sessions until their names were cleared by an independent and impartial inquiry.

Mr Dhumal also questioned the Chief Minister on the reported theft of Rs one crore from his office recently and said why was the matter not reported to the police.

''He should explain as to whom the money belonged. Is the theft of such a huge amount from his office not a crime'', he asked.

UNI