Himachal CM targeting rivals, says BJP

The BJP Thursday accused Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of using the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau to settle scores with the political rivals during the Lok Sabha elections.

"The chief minister is using the vigilance to target former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his sons," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ganesh Dutt said.

He said Virbhadra Singh was pressuring the officials to register false cases against Dhumal.

The BJP's reaction came a day after the vigilance bureau sought the government's nod to prosecute BJP leaders and public servants for alleged wrong-doings in allotment of land to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for constructing a residential complex near its stadium in Dharamsala.

The leaders are two-time former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his sons -- HPCA president and Lok Sabha member from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur and HPCA vice president Arun Dhumal.

Prem Kumar Dhumal is patron-in-chief of the HPCA.

The vigilance bureau's charge sheet also includes names of 18 people. The land was allotted to the HPCA during the BJP regime headed by Prem Kumar Dhumal.

The BJP spokesperson asked Virbhadra Singh to exercise restrain while taking any biased action against opposition leaders during the elections.

The vigilance bureau filed a cheating and misappropriation case in August 2013 against the HPCA over alleged wrong-doings in land allotment and for constructing a residential complex for the players near its stadium in Dharamsala, some 250 km from Shimla.