Coming soon after the allegation against Vijay Bahuguna helping a london-based company to swell its capital in the years he was the Chief Minister of the State, Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s chief spokesperson Surendra Kumar mounted another attack on the former CM on Saturday, charging him with complicity with liquor smuggling trade. To buttress his charge, he circulated a newspaper clipping which says a court notice was issued by ADM (Administration) under Excise Act 60/72 dated May 4, 2012. “Are the BJP national president Amit Shah and the State BJP president Ajay Bhatt aware of Bahuguna’s involvement in the liquor smuggling tradeIJ” Kumar asked.
Kumar further accused BJP of nurturing the liquor syndicate and getting money from it to fund its election expenses. “It is well known how the then BJP government handed over the liquor trade to the private players, snatching it from the Government agencies, in 2008. The same happened after the State was brought under the President’s Rule. A gun battle ensued between the liquor syndicate and the mining mafia and Inder Singh Namdhari, whom BJP gave the minister of state status during their regime, was arrested. There is also allegation of the saffron party’s involvement in the murder of a liquor baron. Things need thorough probe in the interests of the state,” he said.