By IANS,
New Delhi : Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Virbhadra Singh Monday refuted the charge of corruption against him, terming it a “concocted case” and a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Himachal Pradesh.
Talking to reporters here, Virbhadra Singh, who ahs been gthe chief minister of Himachal Pradesh a record five times, accused the BJP government of misusing the state police against him.
“The BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is after my blood,” he said.
Singh said he blamed the state government and “the police mechanism under them” for the case.
“This is a concocted case, based on concocted evidence,” he said.
Asked if he will resign from the union cabinet on moral grounds, Virbhadra Singh said he will take a decision at the right time.
“CD has not been authenticated. I don’t want to embarrass my party and my prime minister, as and when an occasion arises I will take a decision,” he said.
A court in Shimla Monday framed corruption charges against Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh, based on a CD purportedly containing the couple’s voices.
The couple was booked Aug 3, 2009 on the basis of an audio cassette released by Virbhadra Singh’s political adversary Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007.
The former chief minister faces charges of misusing his official position and criminal misconduct in 1989.
Asked if Virbhdra Singh will be asked to leave the union cabinet, Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi said the party will take a decision after seeing the charges.
“There is a procedure for everything. We will see the charges, and whatever opinion is generated, we will convey it to you,” he said.
“Since he is in the cabinet, the prime minister will decide,” Dwivedi said.