Top Cong leadership on bail, says Modi in poll-bound Himachal

Targeting the Congress leadership on corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today alleged that the party was unable to replace graft accused Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as the top brass itself was on "bail", an apparent reference to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Kicking off the BJP's campaign for the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh due later this year, he said it was now for the people to decide whether they should bring the Congress back to power in the state.
"The entire family of the chief minister is facing corruption charges and is on bail. When I asked some Congress leaders why the chief minister is not being replaced, they replied how could the party act against him when the AICC president and the yuvraj are on bail," Modi said at a BJP rally here.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in the National Herald case. Modi has often referred to Rahul as yuvraj which means prince.
Virbhadra Singh and his wife, son and daughter are facing disproportionate assets case and money laundering charges.
Sharply reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Singh said it was unfortunate that a new era of "political vendetta" had begun in the country.

Talking to reporters here, the chief minister alleged that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was responsible for the "baseless cases" against him.
Asserting that no case of corruption has surfaced after the NDA government came to power at the Centre, Modi said that till 2014, newspapers were full of reports about scams, be it Coalgate or 2G scam, and asked the people of the state to "throw out the government on bail".

He also said the state chapter of the BJP will fulfill the dreamsof the people if voted power and provide a clean and efficient government.
Modi told the rally that his government delivered on the promise made to the ex-servicemen on 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme and it was an indication of the Centre's commitment to the Indian Army.
He said nearly Rs 8,500 crore have been distributed under the scheme that had been stuck for nearly 40 years.
Referring to the surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in September last year, he said the operation conducted by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir increased the pride of every youth.

The prime minister said the NDA government believes in development and at present 13 major projects involving an investment of Rs 15,000 crore are under implementation to accelerate economic activity and generate employment in Himachal Pradesh, he said.
Polls for the 68-member Himachal Assembly are scheduled later this year.
Modi earlier laid the foundation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kothipura in Bilaspur and IIIT in Haroli in Una and dedicated a steel processing plant at Kandrori in Kangra district online from the Water Sports Complex on the banks of Gobind Sagar Dam.