Put on back-foot,HP Congress says ‘real chargesheet’ with AICC

Thakur gave two grounds to disown the charges – the document did not carry anyone’s signatures or authentication and it had no supporting documents,which the party had obtained through an RTI application,especially those related to illegal land sales and scams.

He described it as BJP’s attempt to divert attention of people from the Jaypee issue,which had put the government in the dock for its alleged associations with the company and the benefits it had granted to the company in lieu of Jaypee’s support.

The PCC president,though looked worried by the BJP’s pre-emptive move,said the Congress charge-sheet would prove to be a vital document,which would expose the BJP government’s acts of ommission and commissions,and later would be a basis for a CBI probe against the BJP on the Congress’s return to power.

It is believed that the release of the Congress’s pending charge-sheet had exposed factions within the party. Some leaders have asked for an inquiry to find out how the document reached Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,who got it released through BJP state president Satpal Satti.

CLP leader Vidya Stokes,who was power and environment minister during the Congress regime when Jaypee’s cement plant and thermal project was cleared,denied having exonerated Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board officials,who had granted a no-objection certificate to the company.

“There was no question of being soft towards the company. I was deadly against the company as I had noticed some frauds and misrepresentations it had committed. I wish the court’s decision had come earlier,as the company had already extracted huge benefits from the BJP,” Stokes alleged.