Virbhadra offers to resign,says he doesn’t care about any office

Virbhadra categorically denied the corruption charges and claimed that the BJP government was after his blood and had fabricated the cases against him. “The concocted case has been built against me by the BJP government by misusing the official machinery. This CD is not authentic. No voice tests have been done on me. I will fight it out legally and politically,” he added. BJP spokesman Ganesh Dutt,meanwhile,demanded Virbhadra’s resignation from the Union Cabinet on Tuesday and reminded the veteran Congress leader of his public commitment to quit politics if the charges were framed . “It has been proved that Virbhadra Singh,during his chief ministerial terms,had indulged in corruption. Even his wife had been actively associated with cases of corruption. It’s a blot on his image and Virbhadra Singh should not take a minute to quit the posts,” Dutt said.

Major (retd) Vijai Singh Mankotia,who had released the CD in 2007,termed the court order as historic in Himachal Pradesh politics as,he added,it had proved that the Congress had allowed Virbhadra to rule for five terms despite serious allegations of corruption against him. “ It’s Satyamev jayate. Truth has finally prevailed even though Virbhadra Singh tried all his methods and even filed cases to stop me from highlighting the corruption,” he said.

Mankotia further said it was regrettable that despite all facts before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Virbhadra was made a minister and allowed to function in the union cabinet.

On the other hand,fifteen Congress MLAs and a dozen other party leaders,in a joint statement,declared that they will stand by the union minister. “Apart from the legal fight,we will also engage in a solid political battle and ensure Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is ousted from power in the next elections”,they said.

Cong reacts cautiously to court charges

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday reacted cautiously to reports that charges were framed against Union Minister Virbhadra Singh in a graft case by a special court in Himachal Pradesh. Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters that he could not offer any immediate comment as the party takes a view in such matters only after going through the charges. Besides,he said,the matter will have to be looked into by the Prime Minister as Virbhadra is a union minister.