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| Wednesday, November 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Father kidnapped, says MLA’s son DHARAMSALA, Nov 28 — The son of dissident MLA, Des Raj today expressed apprehension that his father may have been abducted and pressurised into issuing a statement in favour of the Chief Minister by the Dhumal camp. Mr Nirmal Prasad, MLA from the Ganggath constituency, talking to mediapersons here today, said his family had no clue about the whereabouts of his father, ever since he left home on November 21 for Solan along with his younger brother. He said his brother had to appear for an interview for admission to the BDS course.” After attending the wedding of Mr Hari Narain Singh’s son at Nalagarh, he was to return home, but he has not even got in touch with any of the family members over the telephone so far”, said a worried Mr Nirmal Prasad. He said he had faxed letters to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, the Governor and the Deputy Commissioner to get his father released from “forcible detention”. Levelling serious charges against the Chief Minister for “humiliating” his father because he belonged to the reserved category, Mr Nirmal Prasad said he was confident that Mr Des Raj would not compromise till he secured justice on various issues which had compelled him to resign from the chairmanship of the State Finance Commission. “Though my father has regard for all senior BJP leaders, he was victimised, simply because he is a staunch Shanta Kumar loyalist,” he stated. Mr Nirmal Prasad said those who had “detained” him could coerce him into making a telephone call to his family, asserting that he was under no pressure. “I will believe that my father has acted out of his own free will, if he is allowed to come home.” Asked if the Shanta group had asked him to issue such a statement, he said: “Any son would be worried for a father missing for over a week.” If the allegations levelled by Mr Des Raj’s son prove to be true the Chief Minister will have to face a very embarrassing situation as he has all along accused Mr Virbhadra Singh of intimidating Mr Ramesh Chaudhary in an effort to form a Congress government in March, 1998. In fact, an inquiry had been ordered by the Dhumal government into the incidents that took place in March, 1998, when Virbhadra loyalists are said to have abducted Mr Ramesh Chaudhary whose support was crucial for the formation of the government. This time the Dhumal government is in the same situation as his predecessor. It has been reduced to a minority as six dissident ministers and MLAs have withdrawn support to it. |
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Des Raj on way
home: wife DHARAMSALA, Nov 28 — Rumours were rife in Kangra district today that the BJP legislator, Mr Des Raj, who had been weaned away from the dissident camp by the Dhumal loyalists, was on his way from Shimla to his native village near Ganggath. On being contacted over the telephone, Mr Des Raj’s wife, said she had received a call from her husband from Balachaur near Hoshiarpur this evening. “He told me that he was safe and would be reaching home late in the night.” |
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