STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: After getting vacated from the government accommodation in BJP’s rule, the Panthers Party Chairman Harsh Dev Singh, who lost its sheen by virtue of deserting the party by many senior panther leaders, has come to the rescue of Ch Lal Singh and alleged that turn-coat politician Lal Singh known for his acidic tongue, is victim of BJP’s political vendetta.
Accusing the BJP government of abusing institutions for settling its personal and political scores, Harsh Dev Singh said that Lal Singh the Dogra Sangram Sena (DSS) leader and his family were the victims of the conspiracy hatched by the saffron leadership.
The BJP leadership was all praise for the veteran leader as long as he remained in their party but overnight he became a tainted leader after he started opposing and exposing them. And not only was he being targeted maliciously but his spouse and brother too were made to bear the brunt of BJP’s machiavellian designs and dirty politicking, Harsh Dev said while addressing press/ media persons in Jammu today.
Referring to the demolition of eight shops and a residential building of Rajinder Singh, the brother of Ch. Lal Singh last year, Harsh Dev Singh said that if it was a case of encroachment why was it allowed to be constructed in the first instance. And though demolition of unauthorized structures is to be welcomed, the aforesaid move being selective had certainly originated from a bad intent. He said that Rajinder Singh the brother of estranged BJP leader had been in possession of the aforesaid property for the last around 20-25 years.
And during all these years it never occurred to the government to dismantle the said structures supposed to have been constructed illegally and in violation of norms, said Singh. As long as the two brothers remained in the ruling party, none questioned them with BJP embracing Ch. Lal Singh with all his idiosyncrasies. But as soon as he disassociated from BJP, and started criticising its dictatorial policies, the axe fell upon him with his business establishments declared illegal and eventually bulldozed. By taking action against the DSS leader, the BJP has once again demonstrated its policies of vendetta and its revengeful attitude towards its political adversaries, he added.
Advising the Saffron leaders to give a peep into their own dirty laundry, Harsh Dev Singh said that BJP blaming Lal Singh and his family members was like burglar blaming a pick-pocket.
Harsh Dev questioned, “Is Lal Singh’s brother or his family the only politician in the State having defied the Agrarian Reforms Act? Is there no other politician who has encroached State lands? What about those BJP Ministers and its Ex-MLAs who have been involved in Bank frauds, illegal transfers of land, Roshni scams, illegal constructions, violation of codal formalities in allotment of contracts, media bribing reports, mining scams besides large scale encroachments of State and forest lands? Not only that, the BJP has chosen to shut its eye to the most sensational disclosures made by the Governor SP Malik regarding a bribe of Rs. 300 crore offered to him by some BJP leaders. What kind of jurisprudence is being implemented in the BJP regime? The way the BJP issued rapid fire clean chits to its erring and corrupt leaders while victimizing its opponents only indicates its double standards and hypocrisy. The BJP has demonstrated how myopic you can get in the pursuit of your vested interests. It has proved that political witch-hunting is a game that has no rules, no protocol, no referee and which can be played by defying all norms”.
The action against Lal Singh’s family would have earned appreciation, had it been taken during his tenure as Minister, observed Harsh adding that present action could only be termed as ‘State terror’ disguised as ‘Legal process’.
Gagan Pratap Singh, Parshotam Parihar (State Secretaries-JKNPP) and Surinder Chouhan (District President Jammu Rural) were also present on the occasion.
Here it is relevant to mention that Harsh Dev Singh was allotted house number 6-A when he was Minister for Education in Mufti Sayeed government from 2002 to 2004. Thereafter, Harsh Dev stayed there for over 15 years but had to vacate the house under pressure.