Flood scam: Rawat asks BJP to do 'homework' before imposing allegations

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have done its 'homework' before imposing allegations against the Uttarakhand Government's alleged links in the flood scam.

"The BJP has imposed allegations against me, that I have brought changes in the state excise policy in order to help private firms. The truth is entirely different. The trade was under private firms earlier. We got it transferred into the hands of the government. It seems the BJP has not done its homework before imposing such allegations," Rawat told ANI here.

Rawat also said that the authenticity of the CD of the 'sting operation' released yesterday, exposing the Congress Chief Minister's secretary negotiating with middlemen allegedly linked to private liquor distributors, would first need to be verified by forensic probe.

"As far as the CD is concerned, its authenticity will be verified by forensic probe. Thereafter, action will be taken if anyone is found guilty," he added.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier led the charge against Rawat and his secretary Mohammad Shahid, demanding the Chief Minister's 'immediate resignation' for 'making money' by altering the state's liquor policy to favour private distributors.

Rawat had later dismissed the allegations as "baseless" but also promised action against Shahid if what was shown in the CD was proved to be true.

The CD does not feature Rawat, but shows a person whom Sitharaman claimed was Shahid talking to alleged liquor dealers about the state's excise policy.