CBI probe: HP ministers slam Centre, back Virbhadra

Senior ministers of Himachal Pradesh today came out with a joint statement slamming the Centre and backing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after CBI initiated an enquiry to probe his alleged disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.1 crore amassed while he was Union Minister of Steel.
Linking the CBI action against Singh with "Lalitgate", they said that it was done because BJP was "desperately trying to divert the attention" of the media and people from the questionable conduct of their leaders.
Alleging that the BJP-led government at the Centre was "pressurising and misusing" investigating agencies to "harass" their political opponents, they said the registration of preliminary enquiry by CBI against the Chief Minister and his family members in the alleged disproportionate assets case was a glaring example as to how low it can "stoop to victimise" its opponents.

They also alleged that the BJP leaders were trying to destabilise the duly elected non-BJP governments in the states and the registration of preliminary enquiry against Singh was a "cheap ploy" to tarnish his image and "unsettle" the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh.
The joint statement was signed by Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes, Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G S Bali, MPP and Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anil Sharma, the office of the Chief Minister said.

CBI has initiated an enquiry against Singh to probe alleged disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.1 crore amassed while he was serving as Union Minister of Steel. The agency claims the present probe is an offshoot of its ongoing inquiry into alleged bribe paymment made to Singh by a steel firm.
CBI sources said the new preliminary enquiry (PE) is against Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya, daughter Aparajita Singh and an LIC agent Anand Chauhan.
The ministers, however, said the central government was indulging in "political witch hunting and deliberately targeting" Singh on the behest of former BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal "who himself was facing many cases and was trying to settle political scores".