During his election campaign of Mandi by poll in Kullu the State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said BJP leader and former Chief Minister Prem Kumer Dhumal had misused telecom technology and used then DGP DS Minhas as an agent to settle political scores, undermining the institution of democracy in the state.
Addressing public gathering in various places in the Kullu constituency in support of party candidate Pratibha Singh, he said a large number of calls were intercepted illegally which amounted to invasion of inpidual privacy and human rights. They were treated as if they were criminals, which was unthinkable in a democracy, he said.“Even if the calls of criminals or suspected persons were to be put on surveillance, there was a legal procedure, but the Dhumal regime surpassed all limits and turned the police as his private agency to annihilate his adversaries”, Virbhadra Singh added.
He said the Mandi parliamentary constituency was his “karmabhumi” and he was seized of the problems of the people. “The Congress never indulged in propagandas, which is left out to the BJP. Our main agenda is development, which has no limits”, he added. He said the Dhumal regime had also misused Section 118 for the shady land deals, including the HP Cricket Association, which was given land for the five-star hotel in Dharamsala. “Those who are involved in the land deals and phonetapping case will be brought to justice”, he said.
Virbhadra Singh said the skill development allowance, free travel for schoolchildren, 80 per cent subsidies on anti-hail nets, subsidised ‘dals’ and ‘atta’ scheme were some of the initiatives the government had taken.
Harsh Mahajan, vice-president and in charge of Kullu district, said Pratibha Singh was a strong candidate while the BJP candidate was forced to contest the election. She had nursed the Mandi constituency when Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was Mandi MP and Steel Minister. Congress leaders claimed that the 8.84-km Rohtang tunnel became a reality as it was allotted Rs 1,400 crore when Pratibha took the matter with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The Congress leaders said Dhumal had allowed dubious private universities in the state which were even involved in selling degrees. “We request the Chief Minister to take action against them,” Mahajan demanded. District president Budhi Singh Thakur, chairman, Kullu Zila Parishad, Harichand Sharma, MLAs Balbir Verma, ID Lakhanpal, Sanjay Rattan and Harinder Thakur, former member electricity board Uma Gaur and others were present.