Himachal CM says 'corrupt' Congress rebels will go to jail, asks BJP to ignore them

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday alleged that the Congress rebels are corrupt and will go behind bars.

The Congress rebels who joined the BJP recently will also create a storm and harm the cause of the genuine party workers there, Sukhu said, while addressing a public meeting at Samurkalan in Una district.

Taking strong exception to the language used by Sukhu, the BJP on Thursday threatened to file defamation case against him.

Sukhu said Vivek Sharma (Vikku) is the front runner from Kutlehar assembly seat and Satpal Raijada from Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat for the Congress and asked the people to support the two candidates.

''We do not have money but we have honesty, morality and support of the people,'' the CM said, and alleged that the six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for Rs 15 crore each.

''We have proof as the facts have started unfolding in the police investigation,'' he said.

Nine legislators had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. The police had registered an FIR against Independent MLA Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) and Rakesh Sharma, father of Congress rebel Chetanya Sharma (Gagret) for ''electoral offences'', bribery and criminal conspiracy.

Sukhu said the corrupt will not succeed in the state and they will be out of active politics. Talking about the former local MLA Devinder Kumar Bhutto, he asked the people to teach him a lesson and said the BJP should also ignore him.

''As an MLA of Kutlehar, Bhutto had dinner with us on the night before the Rajya Sabha polls but voted for the BJP candidate in the morning. This was an ungrateful act,'' Sukhu said.

The chief minister attacked Bhutto, saying he used to come with recommendations for getting contracts of crushers but he never asked for the public works.

Sukhu accused the BJP of trying to topple the elected Congress government with the help of the Congress defectors and by using money. The public may not forgive them, he said, and urged the voters to ensure that their securities are forfeited in the elections.

The rebels did not come for service. They came to sell the legislature and they came to loot, Sukhu alleged.

He said brokers are not needed in politics and the people should give a crushing defeat to Bhutto in the election. He detailed the working of the government and claimed what the Congress did in the last one year, the BJP could not do in five years.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur is living in a fool's paradise and the Congress party will continue to rule the state for its complete term. The Congress will also form the government at Centre with its INDIA bloc partners, he claimed.

Earlier, a grand reception was accorded to the chief minister and his colleagues when they reached Samurkalan to address the meeting.

The BJP took strong exception to the allegations made by Sukhu at his rally and threatened to file defamation case against him for alleging that the MLAs were sold.

''It does not behove a chief minister to make such indecent remarks and it is the reflection of his frustration and disappointment as defeat is staring at the face of the Congress,'' said state BJP general secretary Bihari Lal Sharma in a video byte released here.

The BJP strongly condemns the remarks of the chief minister and advised Sukhu to refrain from vitiating the atmosphere, he said, and added that the BJP and the concerned former MLAs will file a defamation case, he added.