Accusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to be working at the behest of the BJP-led Central Government, Himachal Youth Congress chief Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday said the money laundering case against his father and Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was manufactured as a part of the saffron party’s ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ ideology. Singh said it was not confined only to Himachal Pradesh, but to all other Congress-ruled states where the BJP had been using the investigating agencies to settle their political scores.
“This is also launched against the Himachal Chief Minister as a part of their ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’. He had already said that the ED was working according to the whims and fancies of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and we must not forget that Jaitley was the one, who as the leader of the Opposition, during the last assembly elections, had come to Himachal Pradesh and had made these frivolous allegations against the Chief Minister while addressing a conference,” Singh.
Singh assured that, if required, the Chief Minister will appear personally by going to New Delhi and cooperating with the authorities.“The Chief Minister is a law-abiding citizen. He will accomplish all demands. And in the coming time, if he is asked to appear personally, he will go to Delhi and depose in front of them and cooperate with them,” he said.However, Virbhadra will not be appearing before the ED on Thursday. He was earlier to visit New Delhi but cancelled it later. He will answer the ED queries in writing in consultation with his legal team, as has also been confirmed by son Vikramaditya.
Earlier, the ED had attached assets of Virbhadra Singh worth Rs 8 crore in a money laundering case.In March this year, the Delhi High Court refused to grant a stay on the proceedings initiated by the ED against him.
The ED, had last year, registered a money laundering case against Virbhadra and others under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by the CBI in this regard.
News Source Tribune India
