CBI probe: HP Ministers slam Centre, back Virbhadra

The Ministers of Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Friday slammed the Centre for having initiated a CBI enquiry against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh just to “divert” the attention of media and people from the lalit gate controversy in which top names of NDA Government figures. linking the CBI action against Singh with “lalit gate”, the Ministers in a joint statement said that it was done because BJP was “desperately trying to divert the attention” of the media and people from the questionable conduct of their leaders.

BJP, however, demanded Virbhadra Singh’s immediate resignation to allow a probe to take place independently and demanded a public apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi for allowing scams.  “Virbhadra Singh should resign immediately so that an independent CBI probe can be carried out,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

CBI has initiated an enquiry against Virbhadra Singh on the alleged disproportionate assets worth `6.1 crore amassed while he was serving as Union Minister of Steel. The agency claimed that the present probe is an offshoot of its ongoing inquiry into alleged bribe paymment made to Singh by a steel firm.Alleging that the BJP-led Government at the Centre was “pressurising and misusing” investigating agencies to “harass” their political opponents, the HP Cabinet Ministers said the registration of preliminary enquiry by CBI against the Chief Minister and his family members in the alleged disproportionate assets case was a glaring example as to how low it can “stoop to victimise” its opponents.