Sting operation planned conspiracy to tarnish my image, says Bali

Shimla, Aug 3 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh transport and tourism minister G S Bali today said the sting operation by a private news channel that had led to his resignation from the Cabinet was a ''planned political conspiracy'' and an unsuccessful attempt to tarnish his image.

Talking to mediapersons here on his arrival from New Delhi, he did not rule out the possibility of the conspiracy having its roots within his own party.

Reiterating that a few people within the party were not happy with his rising popularity, Mr Bali said he would soon hire a private detective agency to investigate the whole incident and pin point people responsible for the sting operation.

Replying to a question on Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's statement that he had yet not received any written request from him for an inquiry into the matter, he said that he had already sent a written request for an inquiry by a sitting judge of the HP High Court.

The former minister asserted that he had offered to resign from the Cabinet following the TV expose and was not asked to put in his papers by the CM as reported in a section of the press.

''I had talked to the CM on the same day at 2105 hrs and offered to resign on moral grounds. Immediately thereafter, I sent three letters. The first one was my resignation letter, the second was my consent to vacate the ministerial accommodation at Shimla and the third one was a written request to the CM for an inquiry into he matter.'' Mr Bali said the channel had dedicated almost two days to the episode that involved a minister of one of the smallest states in the country. ''Moreover, there are a lot of contradictions and attempts to hide or twist the facts.'' The channel had announced that some ''uncensored'' excerpts of the meeting would be telecast which has not happened till date, he said.

On being asked about legal action being taken against the news channel, he said he was in touch with the best lawyers of the country and once the whole video footage was received, necessary action would be initiated against the news channel.

The former minister said he had given his best to the departments that he had headed during the last four and a half years and the CM himself had termed him as ''his best and efficient cabinet colleague''.

UNI