BJP demands CBI probe against Himachal CM

BJP today alleged that Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh took "bribe" from a private power firm for granting it extension for a project and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi what action would be taken against him.

Demanding a CBI probe and calling it a "test" for Rahul after his "anger" over the Adarsh issue, BJP leader Arun Jaitley alleged at a press conference that Virbhadra Singh accepted money to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2.4 crore through cheques in his name and that of his MP wife Pratibha Singh.

He also alleged that the wife and children of Vibhadra Singh were made shareholders in another firm of the same promoter, who owns the power company, apparently in exchange of the favour showed by the state government.

Jaitley, who has written to the Prime Minister, wanted to know what action he, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi would take against Virbhadra Singh in "most open and shut case of corruption".

"This is a test for Congress too. This is a test for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi too. Do they still feel angry on seeing these facts.... This will show if their recent outbursts on corruption in Adarsh case was a put on...Or it was a genuine reaction or was it a contrived anger," he said.

In his five-page letter to the Prime Minister, Jaitley said these are cases which require an immediate investigation by both the Income Tax authorities and also the CBI.

"I request you to look in to this matter for appropriate action," he told the Prime Minister and annexed a list of 20 documents against the Himachal Chief Minister.

"Of all the cases I have seen till now, I have no hesitation in saying this is an open and shut case against Chief Minister Vibhadra Singh.... How can such a person continue to be Chief Minister of a state of India," Jaitley said.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said there were allegations of corruption against Virbhadra Singh earlier also but no action was taken.