Himachal CM slams BJP on one-year completion

Himachal Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh today launched a blistering attack on the BJP leaders for spreading canards to mislead the people and said that former chief minister P K Dhumal was frustrated after BJP was ousted from power and could not digest defeat.
Addressing a rally at BJP stronghold Hamirpur on the occasion of completing one year in power, Singh accused the BJP of playing divisive politics and said it always harped on dividing the people in the name of region and caste.
Refuting allegations of discrimination among areas, Singh said he had ensured balanced and uniform development for all areas and announced that "no office will be shifted from Hamirpur and Bilaspur as being alleged by BJP".

Claiming credit for the development in Hamirpur, Singh recalled that the region was made a district in 1972 by the Congress government and alleged that the Jan Sangh, which was earlier form of BJP, had opposed the district's merger with Himachal from Punjab.
Dismissing the allegations by former CM P K Dhumal and his son Anurag Thakur, Virbhadra said that it was a normal tactic of BJP to indulge in mud-slinging ahead of polls.
"We have not committed any crime and would face all the charges boldly and come out clean," he said, while alleging that the Dhumal family became desperate after the inquiries into the affairs Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

"The Congress government will not allow Dhumal family to take hold of government land and it would be restored to the government at all costs," he said.

Virbhadra outlined his government's positives from UPA's flagship subsidised food scheme for the poor to skill development programme for the youth, and asked the people to vote for Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.
HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed there was no divisiveness in the party and said it was vocally supporting all programmes of the government.
Cabinet ministers Vidya Stokes, G S Bali, Mukesh Agnihotri and HP Youth Congress chief Vikrmaditya Singh also addressed the rally, while health minister Kaul Singh Thakur and Congress general secretary and in-charge of Himachal Ambika Soni were not present at the rally.