Irked over his name having surfaced in the chargesheet of BJP submitted to Governor Urmila Singh, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday challenged ex-CM Prem Kumar Dhumal to prove the charges against him or resign from active politics.
Sukhu questioned the intellect and political ethics of BJP leaders and former chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. “I dare former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to prove charges within one month. If he proves charges against me, than I am ready to quit active politics and if he can’t, prove then Dhumal should retire from active politics,” said Sukhu while addressing a media briefing at Congress headquarters at Shimla.
“If Prem Kumar Dhumal feels that there is some wrongdoing in land purchased by my wife than he should have given an affidavit to prove his allegation. I am weighing legal options for maligning my image on false cases,” added Sukhu. He said that there can’t be two laws in State, that sons of Prem Kumar Dhumal can purchase land anywhere while Congress leaders can’t. “No wrongdoings have been done and the 1 bigha 6 biswa land purchased by my wife Kamlesh Thakur has not rendered the woman Sanku Devi, who sold the land as landless,” said Sukhu.
BJP has alleged in its chargesheet that Sukhu had purchased land from a woman Sanku Devi near tourist spot Fagu of Shimla district, on her wife’s name due to which the seller had become landless. Sukhu gave the details of sale-purchase of land which was bought during BJP regime on September 1, 2011 by paying around Rs 7.10 lakh. He produced documents to substantiate his claims and said that Sanku Devi had sold 12 biswa of land on February 28, 2013 to another person and she currently owns 3.2 bighas of land.
“She is not landless as claimed by BJP and its leaders in chargesheet,” said Sukhu. He said that instead of leveling false allegations on others to tarnish their image, Sukhu questioned Dhumal’s morality on being chief patron of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) a not for profit private company headed by his elder son Anurag Thakur and his younger son Arun Dhumal, as its vice president.