Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh rubbished claims of victimizing political opponents and top officers on political grounds.

Virbhadra Singh, in an informal interaction with press, rubbished the charges of former director general of police I.D. Bhandari’s that he was being victimised in a phone tapping case on the political consideration.

Chief Minister said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is functioning independently in his regime and investigation progressing fairly. Commenting on the I.D. Bhandari’s claim, Singh said

“It may be the feeling of handful of officers, if anyone has connived in a wrongful activity, they will have to face consequences as nobody is above the law,”

Chief Minister claimed the tradition of misusing the investigation authority was started by BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal, as in his both tenures, he had initiated false and fabricated cases against him.

Earlier yesterday, former DGP of Himachal Pradesh ID Bhandari had blamed State Government for implicating officials in the phone-tapping case, in which even after one-and-a-half years of investigation, probing team has found nothing.

Bhandari claimed the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had made it a prestige issue. He claimed that not even a single telephone was tapped without following the laid down procedure.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal had also accused the State Government for harassing officials and implicating them in false cases on political ground.