By IANS,
Shimla : A central leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday dismissed as weak the controversial CDs against Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and another party MP, and said these were the handiwork of “political opponents” to defame the state government.
“The case (release of the CDs) is weak. These were released just to create sensation. There is neither complainant nor claimant for the CDs. The person who owned these should come forward,” BJP national general secretary Vijay Goel told reporters here.
“The party high command generally takes a notice of any such incident in the state. In this case too it has taken notice. But the state government has taken the right action so far and acted promptly,” Goel said when asked about the central leadership’s take on the issue.
Goel was here to meet party leaders on the issue of price rise and to formulate a national action plan on it.
Asked about the video CD in which BJP MP Virender Kashyap is shown allegedly accepting cash for grant of permission to an educational institute, Goel said: “At that time (when the footage was recorded April 17, 2009), he was not the MP and had not even filed the nomination for his candidature”.
“It is the handiwork of the political opponents to defame the government. The state government has taken the right decision by ordering an inquiry into the release of the CDs. Moreover, Dhumal has clarified on the issue and that is more than enough,” Goel said.
The CDs – two audio and one video – were sent to select journalists, legislators and high court judges Tuesday. One audio CD allegedly has Dhumal directing the vigilance chief to tap the phones of Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh, and the other CD talks about former union ministers Sukh Ram and Shanta Kumar.
Dhumal Wednesday ordered a Criminal Investigation Department inquiry into the issue.