BJP accuses Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh of corruption

NEW DELHI: The BJP has trained its guns on Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, accusing him of indulging in an “open-and-shut” case of corruption by taking bribe from a private power firm for granting it a 10-month extension to complete a project. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a probe by the CBI and Income Tax authorities into the issue and two older allegations of corruption against the chief minister, who was earlier Union steel minister.

Jaitley alleged that Virbhadra Singh accepted money in his name and that of his MP wife, Pratibha Singh. He also described the case as a test for Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, who had recently said a junked report on the Adarsh housing scam needed to be revisited and favoured action against those indicted. “This is a test for the Congress too. This is a test for Sonia and Rahul too. Do they still feel angry on seeing these facts... This will show if their recent outbursts on corruption in Adarsh case was a put on...or it was a genuine reaction...,” he said.

Jaitley, who has enclosed 20 documents along with the letter to the PM, said a quid pro quo was offered by the firm to Virbhadra and his family around the same time. The letter said Venture Energy and Technology Pvt Ltd had defaulted on a contract awarded in 2002 concerning hydropower project work in Himachal Pradesh but was given an extension to complete the job. When Virbhadra became the CM again, the cabinet granted a 10-month extension.

When his wife contested the Mandi parliamentary bypoll, her affidavit disclosed that the promoter of the company, Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, had given an unsecured loan of Rs 1.5 crore to her and Rs 2.4 crore to Virbhadra Singh.

“Can a CM and his wife take a loan from a company to whom the chief minister had shown a favour?” he asked. Jaitley alleged Virbhadra and his family had become shareholders in another firm, Tarini Infrastructures Ltd, belonging to the promoter of the power company. “This is a clear case of conflict of interest… How can he continue as CM with three cases against him. Is it that Sonia and Rahul are helpless in dealing with him,” Jaitley asked.

When asked if the return of former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who is accused in a mining scam, to the BJP would not weaken its campaign against corruption, he said “first, wait and see what decision party takes”. Despite repeated efforts, ET could not reach Virbhadra Singh for comment. The chief minister was in Kangra and busy, his staff said.

Venture Energy’s promoters also could not be reached for comment. Soon after Jaitley’s press conference, the Congress threw its weight behind Virbhadra saying the allegations didn’t mean much. “In the last five years of BJP rule in Himachal Pradesh, they had instituted several inquiries against Virbhadraji. But nothing came out of them,” Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said.