By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Aug: The BJP has emphatically dismissed the allegations levelled by former minister Harak Singh Rawat, terming them as a desperate attempt to safeguard his political credibility. State President Mahendra Bhatt claimed that these allegations are a result of the ongoing competition for the post of State President within the Congress party. He asserted that, if there had been any substance to the accusations, Harak Singh Rawat should have approached the courts instead of levelling baseless charges in public. Bhatt maintained that neither the public nor the BJP pays any heed to leaders who have lost their credibility and are themselves embroiled in serious corruption allegations.
Responding to questions from the media, Bhatt described Rawat’s statements as entirely unfounded and an outright lie. The BJP MP said that unlike the Congress party, the BJP does not shield corruption or criminals. He highlighted that the BJP carries out annual audits in accordance with constitutional processes and duly informs all relevant agencies. Bhatt went on to quip that such malpractices must be common in the Congress party, where even membership fees are reportedly misappropriated.
Bhatt also issued an indirect challenge to former chief minister Harish Rawat, stating that the senior Congress leaders supporting Harak Singh Rawat’s allegations ought to approach the courts with the evidence if they are confident of their claims. He claimed that these statements are part of the internal tussle for the State President’s position in the Congress, designed only to draw public attention through baseless accusations.
Bhatt declared that a person who has changed parties and is facing multiple pending corruption cases, and whose credibility stands at zero in the public eye, cannot be taken seriously by either the BJP or the citizens. Bhatt added that if Harak Singh Rawat had genuine faith in his claims, he would have submitted facts before investigative agencies or the judiciary rather than pursuing a media spectacle. This entire theatrical display of allegations is nothing more than an attempt to distract attention from his own misdeeds, sustain his political relevance, and seek cheap popularity.
