Former Chief Minister and Garhwal MP Major General (retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri’s statement raising questions on security threat to Indian Military Academy due to involvement of a Chinese university in the Dehradun smart city project has elicited a series of counter-questions raised by Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s media-in-charge Surendra Kumar here on Sunday.
The aggressive counters by Kumar has made one wonder whether Major Gen Khanduri, who is the chairman of Parliamentary committee on Defence, has made an incorrect statement.
Addressing the media persons, Kumar said that he deeply respects Major Gen Khanduri but also asked whether he had lost his chief ministership in the year 2009 due to the shadow of corruption on his then secretary Prabhat Kumar Sarangi. He said, “Did Khanduri not remark that the BJP chief minister at the time was the most corrupt CM in the countryIJ Is it not true that after assuming charge as the CM, Major Gen Khanduri changed the liquor policy and gave liquor trade license to private sector-Ponty Chaddha from Government agencies- Garhwal and Kumaon Vikas NigamsIJ”
He added, “Did Major Gen Khanduri not facilitate trade licence to a person called Namdhari, who is currently in jail and later accorded status of State Minister to himIJ Being a former CM, did he not refuse to vacate his official residence until two houses were combined in Yamuna Colony and allocated to himIJ Is it not true that his close associate was under suspicion when money given by liquor syndicate to BJP was stolen from the party officeIJ”
Kumar went on to say that the even the inquiry committee, which was formed by the party, to look into this theft, had expressed it’s suspicion on the close associate of Major Gen Khanduri’s.
Kumar suggested that it would be better if Major Gen Khanduri breaks his silence inside and outside the parliament and raises State issues in the interests of Uttarakhand and its people.
Kumar added that despite all this he would wish Major Gen Khanduri’s induction in the Union Cabinet by the Prime Minister in next cabinet expansion.