Never asked HPCC secys to quit: CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 25

The controversy over the appointment of secretaries by the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) and subsequent resignation by two secretaries refuses to die down as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh triggered another controversy, saying that he did not ask for the resignation of two secretaries, Pradeep Verma and Kusum Verma. He added that the blueprint of the resignation was prepared in the HPCC office.

“I did not ask for the resignation of the secretaries but it was HPCC president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who outlined the whole thing and the resignation was prepared in the HPCC office,” Singh said during an informal chat with mediapersons here today.

Reportedly, Virbhadra Singh said his contention was that before making appointments of secretaries, the block and district Congress committees should be taken into confidence.

“I never said these people are not competent but calling them to the Congress office and seeking their resignation is not right,” he said, adding that he had been chief minister six times and HPCC president five times but such a situation never arose.

Earlier in the day, the two secretaries met the Chief Minister at his residence and conveyed that they were hurt by his remarks.

Unhappy with the apointments, Virbhadra had said despite repeated pleas, the HPCC had not provided him the list containing names and postal addresses of the HPCC office-bearers so that they could be intimated about the policies and schemes of the government.

He had also opposed the creation of new Block Congress Committees (BCCs) in various districts.