Uttarakhand CM rubbishes horse-trading' allegations by rebel leaders
New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat rubbished the allegations of ‘horse trading’ levelled against him by rebel Congress MLA Harak Singh Rawat on Saturday; he also said that efforts are being made to tarnish the image of state government.
In an attempt to clear the air over the CD which was used by rebel Congress MLAs to allegedly tarnish the state government’s image, Rawat said, “I want to say it blatantly that the CD presented is completely false and fake. Through this CD, efforts are being made to tarnish the image of the state by the rebel leaders.”
Earlier, rebel Congress MLA Harak Singh Rawat had made serious allegations against Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Singh released a CD which unveiled the chief minister's alleged involvement in 'Horse trading'. Further, He said that the nine legislators, who have joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are being lured by the present state government.
Read: Uttarakhand sting operation: BJP demands dismissal of Congress govt
Harak Singh, through a sting, has also claimed that Rawat threatened the MLAs.
"There is an attempt being made to purchase the BJP MLAs, including the nine rebel Congress MLAs," Singh said.
"We have asked the ruling dispensation at the Centre to make arrangements for us," he added.
"The sting CD being shown on the news channels is fake. The reputation of the man behind it who is associated with a private news channel is not hidden from anyone. His antecedents must be probed," Rawat said at a hurriedly-called press conference at his residence here, soon after the sting CD was released before the media in Delhi.
Earlier, the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed the petition filed by the rebel Congress MLAs challenging the notice issued to them by Assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal.
The nine rebel MLAs had earlier on Friday filed a petition in the High Court challenging the show cause notice issued to them by the speaker.
The speaker had on last Sunday served a notice to the nine rebels, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna and former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat, questioning their move to join BJP legislators on March 18.
The Uttarakhand battle reached the corridors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday with the BJP demanding President Pranab Mukherjee to dismiss the Harish Rawat- led government while the Congress accused the ruling dispensation at the Centre of attempting to destabilise the grand old party.
Bahuguna and the other eight rebel MLAs have also been issued notices by the speaker under the anti-defection law.
The Congress has also intimated its MLAs that any indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost and strict action will be taken against the violators.
Rawat had earlier this week accused the NDA Government of attempting to destabilise his government while rejecting the BJP's allegations of corruption in his state.
