Congress to traget Dhumal on corruption issue: CM

Shimla, Nov 27 (UNI) A day after the BJP named Mr P K Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate, Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh today launched a blistering attack on him on the issue of corruption, saying the party had sided with corruption by naming him as their leader in the state.

''Perhaps the biggest indictment of the previous BJP government was by their own members, four ministers and three legislators, who leveled serious allegations of corruption against it,'' he said at a press conference here.

Mr Singh said the worst thing was that even after so many years they had not withdrawn the allegations against its own government till date.

The then BJP Government, which was reduced to minority following the allegations, was only bailed out after their senior party leaders intervened into the matter.

He said now the party had no moral right to accuse the present Congress government of being neck deep in corruption.

Referring to former Himachal Pradesh Sub-ordinate Services Selection Board (HPSSSB) chairman S M Katwal's conviction in three different cases of corruption, he said, though Mr Katwal had been punished, it was an indictment of the former Chief Minister, Mr Dhumal, who should have resigned from the Assembly on moral grounds.

Several other cases related to alleged recruitments were still in courts or were under investigations, he added.

The Chief Minister said investigations into the computer hard disc in the then Chief Minister's office had made startling revelations, which the party would disclose during the elections, besides releasing the list of the candidates selected and those rejected on political and financial considerations.

A case was being filed against sitting BJP legislator from Solan constituency Rajeev Bindal, who had purchased ''nau tord'' (land distributed to the landless families in the district) land from the poor, he said, adding that a case was also being filed against the BJP legislator from Nadaunta constituency for amassing wealth more than his known sources of income.

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