Himachal Pradesh: Winter session concludes with uproar on corruption charges

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh assembly was adjourned sine die after a six-day stormy winter session with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members disrupting proceedings on the last day as well. The blame game between Congress and BJP legislatures consumed most of the time in the six-day session. While the session started with opposition taking up corruption charges against chief minister Virbhadra Singh on the first day, on Saturday BJP members stormed the well of the House on reported allegation of a murder-accused Congress MLA, who had alleged that he was implicated by the CM.

The day's proceedings ended in just 51 minutes. BJP MLA Mohinder Singh raised the issue of notice of adjournment motion on Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chowdhary allegations that he had been implicated by chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Speaker Brij Bihari Butail rejected the motion stating that the matter was sub-judice.

Opposition members kept shouting slogans and also demanded clarifications from the chief minister over corruption charges - purchase of 9,80,000 shares in a private company from which Singh's family had taken loan in crores. On non-acceptance of their adjournment motion, the opposition members entered the well of the House. As nothing was audible in the din, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die. Virbhadra Singh termed the behavior of opposition members an immoral while opposition said that Congress did not have courage to discuss corruption matters.

In the midst of the ruckus, the chief minister apprised the House about the 'best state' award received by the Himachal government for health and investment sectors in Delhi a day earlier.

Virbhadra defends purchase of shares in firm

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had admitted before the media about purchase of shares by his family members in the company owned by Vakamulla Chandershekher, who had lent him and his wife loan money worth crores. But he said that he had not done anything wrong. "I want to clarify the allegations that Tarini Infrastructure Ltd is a public listed company. The shares purchased are fully paid up and have been purchased as primary shares," said chief minister Virbhadra Singh, alleging that opposition was making a hue and cry over a non-issue.