Stand by what I wrote: Shanta Kumar on Vyapam scam

New Delhi, July 21: Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar on Tuesday said he stands by the letter he wrote to BJP president Amit Shah saying the Vyapam scam had damaged the party's image.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) journey has been a long one, during which it has achieved a lot, making members proud of it. However, when such incidents happen, it taints the party and hurts its members," Shanta Kumar told reporters, referring to the Vyapam scam.

"I have just expressed my views through the letter. I stand by whatever I have written," he added.

In his letter to Shah, which is written in Hindi and shared by Shanta Kumar on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, he said that the scam made all party members bow their heads in shame.

The CBI is probing the Vyapam scam over recruitments in BJP-governed Madhya Pradesh. Over 40 people related to the scam have died so far.