File photo of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh
After facing disruption in Parliament yesterday over the demand for three top BJP leaders caught in controversies to resign, the party launched a counter attack against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh.
The BJP cited an Income Tax department probe to accuse Mr Singh of "accepting bribe" from a private firm to buy a farm house in South Delhi's Mehrauli.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that Singh accepted bribe from a hydel power firm Venture Energy and Technology Private Limited for reviving its cancelled project in the state and the money was routed by the firm through a convoluted process to a company owned by his son and daughter to buy a firm house for over Rs 6.61 crore.
Mr Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi ji, Sonia Gandhi ji please explain... Is it quid pro quo or not? It is clear case of bribery... Will you ask Singh to resign?"
The charges levelled against Mr Singh is not new, it was an election issue during the 2012 assembly elections in the state. BJP leaders quoted from the probe document to claim that the charges against him stand "proved" and demanded his resignation.
Mr Singh's son Vikramaditya and daughter Aparajita purchased the property in Mehrauli through their company Maple Destination and Dream Build Private Limited for Rs 6.61 crore.
Rejecting the allegations, Mr Singh said, "I'm ready to face any inquiry, these are false allegations. I can assure you that each and every matter is in Court. These are made up charges by BJP and it will not tarnish my image."
Mr Singh became the second Congress leader to be targeted by the BJP. Earlier on Wednesday, the party had released a sting video, accusing Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat of corruption.
The Congress has said Ms Swaraj and Ms Raje, for their alleged links with disgraced IPL chief Lalit Modi, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, besieged by the Vyapam recruitment scam, must resign for Parliament to function.