War of words have broken out between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal who reacting to the comments of Singh said that he should know that this is a democratic country and the rule of law prevails.
Dhumal was commenting on the statement issued by Singh on Saturday that BJP government had always acted with revenge against him and threatened to put the leader of opposition, behind the bars. Dhumal stated that in case Chief Minister wants to put him behind the bars, for no fault of his, he is ready to face it. “Chief Minister is forgetting that it is a democratic country a rule of law prevails in this country,” said Dhumal.
He said that he has always welcomed all the inquiries being conducted by the current government from time to time but it appears that the Chief Minister knowingly in order to influence the inquiries is issuing such statements.
Dhumal said that it also appears that he himself has become “Investigator, Prosecutor and the Judge.” “If Chief Minister is to decide everything then what he is waiting for. Is the government inquiring the matter or it is just a publicity stunt. At times, the statements are being issued by him and other times by the officers of the Vigilance Department,” said former Chief Minister.
He added that as far as the matter relating to CD case is concerned, Virbhadra Singh himself had asked the Vigilance Department to inquire this matter in 2007 and also took the matter to High Court and now blaming us time and again for his misdeeds. Dhumal maintained that his government had not committed any crime by allotting land for providing sport facilities of international standard to the youth of the state after having completed all formalities in public interest.
The infrastructure, so created is a public property and does not belong to any single individual. He reminded him the case in which the land was transferred in his name and blame was put on an officer by taking the plea that he was ignorant about the law. Reacting to Chief Minister statement, that Dhumal has not done anything for Hamirpur district, Dhumal said that the people of Hamirpur very well know that the offices of chief engineer PWD, IPH and electricity, Chief Conservator of Forest, were opened during the tenure of BJP tenure.
“In addition, Technical University, Carrier Point University, B. Ed Colleges, number of Degree colleges and schools, bridges and road connectivity was also provided by BJP government,” said Dhumal adding that on the contrary, the present government immediately after taking over, shifted divisional office of HIMUDA, JAICA Project Office. “The Police Battalion Jangleberi was shifted overnight by the present government, while it was established twice by BJP government,” said Dhumal.
He further commented that self praise has no recommendation. Here, the honest and competent officials have been sidelined and are being victimized and harassed by making frequent transfers.