M A I N   N E W S

Minister injured during campaign
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Feb 14 — The PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, was injured when he was attacked with stones and bottles while he was campaigning for the ruling BJP candidate near Kandaghat in the Solan assembly constituency last night.

The minister who belongs to the Himachal Vikas Congress, an alliance partner of the BJP, told reporters here today that he was attacked by nearly 15-persons on the Shimla-Kakla highway. He sustained injuries on his face and other parts of body.

This is the first such incident in which a minister has been attacked in Himachal Pradesh. Three persons, including a woman, have been arrested.

The minister, who was accompanied by Mr Rakelh Pathania, Chairman, HP Tourism Development Corporation, and Mr Kewal Ram Chauhan, General Secretary, HVC, indicated that the attack on him might have been engineered by some senior politicians from Delhi.

He was attacked when he stopped his vehicle to prevent a bulldozer from demolishing the parapets on the highway. The miscreants, one of whom he identified as Rajnish Vasudeva, a resident of Delhi, allegedly attacked him and fled away. The police has taken them into custody.

He alleged that one of the miscreants was armed with a pistol, however, the security officer of the minister did not open fire on the miscreants.

He alleged that miscreants were the supporters of the independent candidate, Mr Netar Singh. He circulated picutures of the bulldozer carrying banners and flags of the Independent candidate.

The minister claimed that supporters of Mr Netar Singh have become panicky following improvement in the election prospects of the BJP nominee, Mr Rajeev Bindal.

However, when contacted on the telephone, a supporter of Mr Netar Singh, who was available in his election office, alleged that the entire story of the attack was cooked up” by the BJP to defame Mr Netar Singh. The banners and flags were put on the bulldozer by BJP activists, he alleged.

He alleged that the BJP leadership was worried with Mr Netar Singh’s presence in the election arena and his growing support particularly in the rural areas.