BJP office attack: Party MLAs set out deadline for govt to act against culprits

Prem Kumar Dhumal with state party chief Satpal Satti and other party leaders giving memorandum to Governor Kalyan Singh at Raj Bhawan in Shimla on Friday. (Source: Express photo by Lalit Kumar)

Skipping question hour in the assembly, the entire BJP legislature party led by Prem Kumar Dhumal today reached Raj Bhawan to lodge their protest against state government’s inaction against those involved in the violent ‘attack’ at the party office on January 29.

The MLAs had set out a deadline of March 31 for the government to act against the culprits, or face massive agitation.

The legislature party submitted a memorandum to the Governor Kalyan Singh reminding about an earlier memorandum submitted on January 30, a day after the incident. It sought a CBI probe into the incident and also dismissal of the state government which has not obeyed orders of the Governor.

Instead, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had showed complete respect to the Governor by asserting that a democratically elected government was in place.

“Despite a clear directions issued to the police and state administration,the congress government had hushed-up the matter. It’s because the Chief Minister whose son Vikramaditya Singh had led the protest and violence,gave him a clean chit. The police had no role left to interrogate the accused or affect arrests,” memorandum reads.

Immediately on return from the Rajbhawan, Suresh Bhardwaj, BJP’s Chief whip, informed the state assembly that a fresh protest had been lodged with the Governor on the BJP office attack issue. The party has set-out a deadline for the government to act before March 31.

“If no action is taken,the BJP will organise a massive gherao of the state assembly and start a state wide agitation,” Bhardwaj said informing the House about party’s decision to participate in the proceedings of the assembly.

Bhardwaj,who is also sitting Shimla MLA said, “The police till now has not even sought medical report from the PGI about treatment of Rajesh Sharda, a senior district BJP leader.No arrest has been made so far.The role of the police and local administration is dubious.”

Dhumal later told media persons that attitude of the government clearly shows that it had taken such a serious incident of law and order very casually and efforts instead have been made to hush up the case .One person has lost his eye sight and several BJP workers were injured in the attack,which was first of its kind in the state politics.

“Chief Minister has not only given a clean chit to Vikramaditya Singh ,youth congress president but has accused the BJP and he (Dhumal) of engineering attack against the youth congress activists.Therew ere three chairmen and vice-Chairmen of PSUs in the mob which attacked the office .One involved in the stone pelting and attack,beside his questionable credentials,have been rewarded with post of Chairman,” he said.

Source:: Indian Express