|
|
|
|
CD issue backfires on the BJP
MP’s image suffers dent
Congress upbeat over ‘exposure’
Party goes into damage control mode
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
‘Dhumal must resign on moral grounds’
A conspiracy, says Kashyap
Release of CD flayed
Villagers protest against JP plant
CD Issue
One killed in mishap
Subsidised flights for Kullu sought
Dhiman favours quality education
|
|
CD issue backfires on the BJP
Shimla, January 20 The authenticity of such CDs will always be open to question but after having registered a case against Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on the basis of a similar electronic document, the government could not take shelter being the plea that it was doctored. The Opposition, particularly the Congress, will press for registration of cases on its basis, and the BJP will have a hard time defending itself on the issue. Even for ascertaining the authenticity of voices in the audio CDs, it would have to be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory which could mean inviting trouble. Virbhadra Singh and the Congress had also termed the CD released by former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia as a doctored document and nothing more than a “cut and paste” job. Ironically, the BJP, which dismissed such pleas with utter contempt, has now been forced to forward same arguments to defend its position. If the government takes a different course in the case of the triple CD pack, it could make its stand indefensible in the court of law. It will only weaken the case against Virbhadra Singh. The phone tapping is also a serious issue and particularly when a Union Minister is involved. Besides, sources reveal that the Vigilance police had sometime back acquired equipment for phone tapping. There is provision and procedure for monitoring phones from the security point of view. However, there is a possibility of its misuse. Whatever course the government may adopt in the matter, the unsavoury episode has brought the Congress at par with the BJP in the matter of CD war. The party, which had been at the receiving end for the past over three years, had got a potent weapon to attack Chief Minister PK Dhumal and the BJP. It could fuel factional war within both the BJP and the Congress with the groups lying low becoming more assertive. |
||
|
MP’s image suffers dent
Solan, January 20 The fact that the police had conveniently hushed up the case earlier and senior officials from Shimla had come to enact a cover-up it had also put a question mark over the police’s transparent role. The contents of the CD confirmed that it was shot on April 17 at local hotel Paragon and cash worth Rs 5 lakh was not only handed over but also the MP was shown inquiring about the amount. The money was later wrapped in a newspaper that was brought from outside the room and stacked away. The MP had at that time asserted that some unknown person had left Rs 50,000 in a box of sweets and he had acted innocent and had handed over this amount to the police who had then made an entry into the daily dairy report in a bid to locate the owner. This cover-up had been enacted after news broke out to the media. The release of this CD had now exposed how the case had been hushed up prior to the elections in April last year. Since the cash was handed over openly and there was no box of sweets it showed how a concocted story was presented before the media to hush up the case. The individual giving the cash was also seen demanding favours and facilitating opening of his educational institute and also specifically mentioning the name of another BJP minister whom he was supposed to hand over the money but had instead come to Kashyap. The MP was seen assuring the investor that such cases were taken up in the state Cabinet but he would look into it. Though the MP at a press conference asserted that the CD was fake while agreeing to the fact that he was yet to view it, the difference in his own statements made now and in April last year point a finger of doubt. It is worth mentioning that as many as seven private universities have been handed over letters of intent by the BJP government in Solan district alone and four universities were already running in the private sector while nursing colleges and a private medical college too had come up here. |
||
|
Congress upbeat over ‘exposure’
Shimla, January 20 General secretary of the party Kudeep Rathore said the currency wad case involving BJP MP Virender Kashyap came to light on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll but the BJP government succeeded in sweeping the matter under carpet. Kashyap deposited Rs 25,000 with the police stating that he found the currency wad on the table in the hotel room. The following day another BJP leader Tirath Ram turned up to claim the money. He had been inducted into the board of directors of the state civil supplies corporation as a reward for bailing out the party. The role of the local police in hushing up the case was more than obvious and with video evidence of the whole episode available, it was a fit case to be handed over to the CBI. Meanwhile, the Speaker of Lok Sabha should take suo motu notice of the matter and take action against Kashyap as was done in case of the MP’s involved in the “cash on camera” scam. The issue of phone tapping was also raised earlier by Virbhadra Singh and it could not be taken lightly and an impartial probe by CBI was essential. It had also brought to fore the fact that Virbhadra Singh was being unfairly targeted by the Dhuma government misusing the vigilance machinery. The Congress charge that the BJP was steeped in corruption from head to toe had been proved once more. Earlier, it was Suresh Chandel who was caught in camera accepting bribe. |
||
|
Party goes into damage control mode
Shimla, January 20
The probe will be conducted by the Additional Director General of Police, CID, who has been asked to submit the report at the earliest. While asserting that the CDs supplied by unknown sources through courier service without sender’s name were fabricated, Dhumal said he was ready to get the matter probed by a central agency. There was a big question mark over the authenticity of the CDs especially when there was no continuity in the conversation and clarity in the contents. The government had nothing to hide and it only wanted to get to the truth by an impartial probe, he added. The issue of phone tapping was raised earlier by Union Minister of Steel Virbhadra Singh who alleged surveillance by the state government and that Himachal had been converted into a police state. Subsequently, he had written a letter, dated August 29, 2009, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and offered to have the allegation of phone tapping and surveillance inquired by any central agency. In fact, he had also made a one-line reference---whether any telephones of Virbhadra Singh within the state were being tapped and whether he was under surveillance of the state police---in the letter for the government of India to conduct the inquiry. He pointed out that under the Telegraph Act, permission had to be obtained from the Centre for monitoring the phones of politicians. His government had not put telephone of any political leader under surveillance so far. If phones were being tapped illegally, it was a matter of grave concern. Even if there was an iota of genuineness in the released CDs, it was a clear indication that the phones of Chief Minister were being tapped illegally. Obviously, those levelling allegation of phone tapping on the government could be involved it. He was aware of such CDs being prepared and it would not be surprising that some more CDs surface in a similar manner in the due course. The inquiry has been ordered only in case of the two audio CDs, purportedly containing conversations involving the Chief Minister and not the video CD featuring party MP Virender Kashyap. A case regarding it was registered earlier by the Solan police. |
||
|
‘Dhumal must resign on moral grounds’
Hamirpur, January 20 Talking to mediapersons here today, Thakur said, “Dhumal and Kashyap should immediately resign from their posts on moral grounds and if they fail to do so, the Dhumal government should be dismissed by the Central government, since it is a serious matter.” He said, “The present state government, since its formation two years back, has been deeply involved in corruption which has been proved after release of CDs revealing involvement of top leaders in corruption cases.” Demanding a CBI probe in the CD case, the Congress leader said, “The investigating agency of the state has become a puppet in the hands of the state government and cannot be entrusted the job of investigating such serious matters. The clean chit given to high profile BJP leader in the alleged call-girl scandal by the Vigilance Bureau clearly proved this.” Involvement of democratically elected representatives in corruption is a serious matter and it is important to condemn such actions to keep high traditions of democracy alive, he added. Talking about continuation of Hamirpur Regional Transport Officer (RTO) on the post after allegedly getting caught red-handed accepting graft on January 17 in his office, Thakur said, “It is quite astonishing that the person who was arrested by the Vigilance team accepting a graft of Rs 10,000 have resumed the same position after getting bailed out from the court within three days.” The RTO was not only garlanded but sweets were also distributed by a few private bus operators which suggests that they were being unduly benefited by him, he added. He demanded immediate transfer of the RTO. |
||
|
A conspiracy, says Kashyap
Shimla, January 20 He said he was among the front runners for the party ticket from Shimla seat and there was every possibility of his rivals being involved in the murky affair. Moreover, his performance as an MP over the past six months had been excellent and his growing popularity might have upset his rivals. He said there was no question of his tendering a resignation on the basis of such fabricated evidence. He also said that cases should not be registered on the basis of such CDs. When asked about the case registered against Virbhadra Singh, he said he could not say anything about it. He said being in public life, he had been meeting people from various walks of life who came with their problems and sought help. |
||
|
Release of CD flayed
Kullu, January 20 He said the CD episode of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh had reached the final stage of confirmation and the Congress wanted to divert the attention by “mean practices”.
|
||
|
Villagers protest against JP plant
Solan, January 20 A memorandum was handed over to the SDM to be forwarded to the Chief Minister by a local NGO Himparivesh. Its members Jagjit Singh Dhukiya, Balkrishen Sharma and others and members of the Himalayan Niti Abhiyan Ghuman Singh lent support to the agitation. The people contended that the proposal had been rejected in two public hearing of June 6, 2007, and September 7, 2009. When the 25 MW thermal plant was rejected in 2007, there was no rationale in allowing an enhanced plant of 30 MW capacity in 2009. They contended that the government indulged in double speak as on one hand they talked about global warming, climate change and carbon emissions, which had become an issue of concern the world over, on the other, the state government was according permission to such polluting units. The villagers also contended that it would adversely affect the environment and health of the people. It would also lead to shortage of water for irrigation and water was already a scarce commodity in the Changer area where this plant was coming up. This would offset their agricultural practices which were their source of income. The locals added that there was a vast scope for developing hydel power in the state and there was no shortage of power. Hence, there was no rationale in allowing this thermal plant at the cost of the environment and health of the people. With thousands of industrial units already adding to the pollution, the people had vowed to oppose this plant tooth and nail. |
||
|
Cong unit seeks CBI probe
Tribune News Service
Mandi, January 20 Yogesh Sharma, Dharampur Congress leader Chander Shekar, former Nachen MLA Teg Chand Dogra and spokesperson Tarun Pathak today issued joint statements, demanding Dhumal’s resignation and shifting of DG Manhas from the post to have fair inquiry in the entire episode. They further demanded that vigilance should lodge the FIR in the case to know the truth about the CDs. The Congress leaders alleged that Dhumal and Manhas had been trapped in the CD controversy as they had hatched the conspiracy to implicate Union Steel Minister and Mandi MP Virbhadra Singh in the fake audio CD case by lodging the FIR. They should now resign, making a way for fair inquiry in the CD issue, they demanded. They further said the reported conversation between Dhumal and Manhas in the alleged CD had once again proved that the duo conspired and tapped the telephone of Virbhadra Singh. The alleged CDs have proved beyond point that the present government, under Dhumal, was promoting education and land mafias in the state by opening private universities, they alleged. They have no moral ground to be on the post as their image has been sullied because of the alleged CD, they claimed. They demanded that the government should order a CBI probe into the CD issue as the public had the right to know the truth behind the CDs.
|
||
|
One killed in mishap
Bilaspur, January 20 The hit was so strong that the victim was thrown some 20 feet into a nearby chasm while the bulker driver also lost control of the vehicle and it fell some 200 feet into the gorge. The police has registered a case and brought the body for post-mortem. It seems that the bulker driver has escaped injuries as he was not found anywhere in or near the bulker and is said to be absconding. |
||
|
Subsidised flights for Kullu sought
Kullu, January 20 Even the 32-seater Air India craft has cut down its flights operating only thrice a week, they added. Private Kingfisher and Air India flights from New Delhi to Kullu costs Rs 3,800 to Rs 4,500 per
seat, which is more than double than that for Kathmandu and Srinagar, rued tourist operators. Even high-end tourists from Mumbai, willing to visit Himachal in a single day by air, cannot do it because Air India flight takes off at 6.50 am and Kingfisher takes off from Delhi at 6.45 am, they said. In fact, travel agents, hoteliers and tourism officials are united on the issue of “concessional or subsidised flights” to Himachal Pradesh. “Himachal is paying a heavy price for being peaceful and has just seven MPs to plead its case with the indifferent Centre,” they rued. Even private airlines have been demanding direct Delhi-Kullu flights across Ambala. “This route is shorter than the one via Saharanpur and can save 20 per cent of aviation turbine fuel. This, in turn, can cut down on air fair, which is charged from the passengers,” they said. Anil Sharma, president, travel agents’ association, Manali, said they had been pleading with the government to offer subsidised flights, but the ministry had been ignoring it. Arun Sharma, director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said the state had been taking this issue with the Centre over the years. “The reduced air fair will definitely boost tourism in the state,” he added. |
||
|
Dhiman favours quality education
Hamirpur, January 20 He said, “The present frustration among the students and tendency to commit suicide for small failures is an outcome of our education system by not inculcating our traditions and values among them, otherwise how nine students of 19 years could commit suicide one after another?” he questioned. The minster said, “It is important to curb the tendency of copying in the exams among the students, and teachers and parents would have to inculcate importance of hard work among them to check this tendency, which is also very important to improve quality of education.” He also announced to give Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a playground in the senior secondary school, Bhoranj, Rs 1 lakh for toilets and Rs 5000 and Rs 2000 for students who presented a cultural programme at the function. The minister also gave away prizes to meritorious students. |
||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Solan, January 20
