New Delhi: Stepping up its attack on Virbhadra Singh, a high-level BJP delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday and handed over a memorandum demanding removal of the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate booked him for corruption.
The delegation included Union Minister JP Nadda, former state chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, party lawmakers from the state, besides BJP's state unit incharge Shrikant Sharma and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Anurag Thakur.
"This is probably the first time in the history of the country that raids have been conducted at the residence of a sitting chief minister. The administration and the government is in a coma. No work is happening and chief minister is busy defending himself.
"The party is busy defending him and party leaders are fighting the race for his succession. In such a situation a small hill state like Himachal is suffering. We have demanded that the President remove Virbhadra Singh on moral grounds," Mr Kumar told reporters after meeting the President.
He said morality demanded that Mr Singh resigned on his own.
However, since he has not stepped down, the BJP leaders have come to the President to seek his removal on moral grounds.
"He should have resigned on moral grounds or Congress party should have removed him on morality. Since nothing has happened, we have been forced to come to the highest Constitutional authority, the President of India. We are hopeful that the President will consider our plea and provide justice to Himachal and its people by giving us administration," he said.
Mr Kumar said," While one person has done corruption, the entire state and its people are being made to suffer, as funds provided by the Central government for welfare of the poor are not being utilised.
State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti and party lawmakers Ram Swaroop, Virender Kashyap and Vimla Kashyap and other party leaders from the state were also part of the delegation.
The delegation included Union Minister JP Nadda, former state chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, party lawmakers from the state, besides BJP's state unit incharge Shrikant Sharma and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Anurag Thakur.
"This is probably the first time in the history of the country that raids have been conducted at the residence of a sitting chief minister. The administration and the government is in a coma. No work is happening and chief minister is busy defending himself.
He said morality demanded that Mr Singh resigned on his own.
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"He should have resigned on moral grounds or Congress party should have removed him on morality. Since nothing has happened, we have been forced to come to the highest Constitutional authority, the President of India. We are hopeful that the President will consider our plea and provide justice to Himachal and its people by giving us administration," he said.
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State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti and party lawmakers Ram Swaroop, Virender Kashyap and Vimla Kashyap and other party leaders from the state were also part of the delegation.
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