The state Congress leaders strongly condemned the statement of BJP leaders and office bearers of HPCA against the prosecution sanction granted by the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to prosecute Prem Kumar Dhumal in HPCA Case.

Irrigation & Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes and Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, in their joint statement said that it was unfortunate that the BJP and HPCA had stooped so low to level unfounded allegations against the Governor. They believed that BJP has showed their disregard for the highest constitutional office in the State. They said that the ulterior demand of the HPCA office bearers to oust the Governor of the State on the issue pointed in the direction of an unholy nexus between the BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal and HPCA.

They said that it was obvious that the Governor had given prosecution sanction against Dhumal after going through the details of the case and due consultations in the matter. It was totally uncalled for to question the wisdom of the Governor.

The ministers said that during the Dhumal Govt. prosecution sanction was sought from the Governor against Virbhadra Singh twice in false cases of Sagar Kattha and CD case. The Congress had not questioned the prosecution sanction granted by the then Governor. They said that now when they are facing serious corruption charges they are trying to thwart the process by unnecessarily involving the High office of Governor.

Congress leaders claimed that the BJP leaders were making unnecessary hue and cry to hide their misdeeds. They said that the State Govt. was adopting zero tolerance against corruption and the gross violations of HPCA were a serious case of corruption. They said that the BJP leaders foreseeing the consequences of their wrong doings were bent upon to go to any extent to divert attention of the people from the real issues and to take political mileage by spreading misinformation.

The Ministers said that the Dhumal Govt. had been very liberal in showering undue benefits on the HPCA which was headed by the son of the then Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. HPCA acquired Govt. land on one rupee lease in the name of a society and later surreptitiously changed it into a Company. As the misdeeds and misuse of office by previous BJP Govt. and HPCA were being investigated and cases were being filed, BJP leaders and HPCA office bearers were feeling the heat and were falsely blaming others in frustration.