Shimla, January 24
The Chief Minister, Mr P.K.Dhumal, today said the Cabinet might take a merciful stand if the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh and the other Congress leaders indicted by the Kainthla Commission tendered a public apology.

Mr Dhumal, who was talking to newspersons here, said his government did not want to harm anyone, but defiance of law would not be tolerated.

He said a senior leader like Mr Virbhadra Singh should have acted like a statesman and tendered a public apology so as to boost his image.

He said a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, Mr Harsh Gupta, had been appointed to examine all aspects of the report of the commission as the government was not in a hurry to take action against Mr Virbhadra Singh and others indicted for the alleged incidents of violence in and around Shimla in the first week of March 1998 when a hung assembly emerged in the state following a snap poll by the then Congress government.

Mr Dhumal said it was unfortunate that a senior leader like Mr Virbhadra Singh, who had remained Chief Minister for 12 years, was levelling personal allegations against Mr H.D. Kainthla, a retired Sessions Judge, after he submitted his report. They had only challenged setting up of the commission and not appointment of Justice Kainthla in the court.

He said a reign of terror had been let loose by the then Virbhadra government in 1998 making the elected representatives run out of the state to save their lives.

The Congress had itself demanded a judicial enquiry into the incidents and their petition against the appointment of the enquiry commission was dismissed by the high court and the Congress had itself demanded a judicial enquiry into the incidents and their petition against the appointment of the enquiry commission was dismissed by the high court and the Supreme Court also refused to grant them a stay. If the Congress leaders were not satisfied with the commission, why they had filed affidavits and their three lawyers appeared and cross-examined Mr Narendera Bragta, Horticulture Minister, the Chief Minister asked.

Referring to Mr Virbhadra’s statement that the land belonging to his mother was transferred to his elder daughter just out of ignorance Mr Dhumal said it was highly intriguing that a person who had remained Chief Minister for a long time should be ignorant of the law.

He said it was for Mr Virbhadra Singh to honour his announcement of quitting politics if an inch of surplus land was found in his possession. Now he himself had written a letter to the Financial Commissioner admitting that the surplus land,if any, should be taken over by the government.

Mr Dhumal said it was yet to be seen whether the application was pre-dated. Involvement of revenue officers in these land transactions, was also being enquired. These officials would be asked if they had transferred the land under any pressure.