Himachal Pradesh government, army row over Shimla ground

NEW DELHI: Himachal Pradesh chief minister PK Dhumal and the Army are at loggerheads over the Annandale ground in Shimla.

An upset Dhumal on Sunday dubbed as "false, baseless and misleading" the reported allegations by the Western Command that the Himachal Pradesh government was acting under the influence of forest mafia for putting pressure on the Army to return the ground. The chief minister threatened to file a defamation suit against the concerned authorities if they did not issue an unconditional apology.

While the Western Command claims the ground, which has been in possession of the Army since World War II, is of strategic importance, Dhumal has dubbed as "unlawful" its occupation by the Army.