A day after Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu asked former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to prove the charges against him in one month or retire from active politics, BJP on Saturday said its allegations were based as per land laws.
The BJP in its chargesheet submitted to the Governor on December 25, alleged that Sukhu had purchased a land at Fagu, a tourist spot in Shimla district and the woman from whom he purchased the land has become landless. Sukhu on Friday challenged Dhumal to prove the charges in one month or resign from active politics.
The BJP on Saturday defended the chargesheet and charges levelled against Sukhu and said that the fact is that HPCC chief has purchased a land given to a family by Government for being landless. “Sukhu had purchased a 1 bigha and 6 biswa land from one Sanku Devi, who was given Government land 5 bigha on October 27, 1976 for being landless,” said BJP chief whip Suresh Bhardwaj.
“As per the existing land Ceiling Act in the State, any person who holds less than 5 bigha land in the State is considered as landless. Moreover, the Government allotted land cannot be resold for a specified period,” said Bhardwaj.
He added that charges leveled by BJP in the chargesheet are simple that land was
purchased by Sukhu and the land from whom it was purchased had become landless as per the law. “This does not mean that the woman who sold the land, has zero land at present,” said Bhardwaj.
Sukhu had produced documents which suggested that despite his purchase of land on the name of his wife Kamlesh Thakur, the seller Sanku Devi still had 3.2 bighas of land left with her. “He accepts that he had purchased a land but is silent on the status of the seller being landless or not,” Bhardwaj added.
He added that BJP charges are based on the facts and Government should take it into consideration and order a CBI inquiry instead of calling it a bundle of lies.
“We have annexed proofs and evidences with each and every charge levelled in chargesheet, which cannot be denied,” said Bhardwaj daring the Congress Ministers to come out clean after investigation.