The Hindu : Sukh Ram quits, son takes over

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Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

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Sukh Ram quits, son takes over

By Our Staff Reporter

GHUMARWIN JULY 6. A day after the former Union Communications Minister, Sukh Ram, was convicted in the Rs. 1.68 crore telecom scandal, he quit as president of the Himachal Vikas Congress and named his son, Anil Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP, as his successor.

Sukh Ram supporters held a big rally here today to mark the sixth foundation day of his party. And his decision to anoint his son got wide acceptance from the thousands of supporters who had come from different corners of the State.

He said the conviction was yet another "conspiracy" by his opponents to reduce his political stature, and he would appeal against it.

The people of the State, who stood with him like a rock at the time of crisis when most political parties abandoned him, would back him in the coming Assembly elections too. His party would continue to support the BJP in the State and the Centre.

Talking to mediapersons in Bilaspur, Sukh Ram alleged that the case was politically-motivated and fabricated. He was acquitted by the High Court in the same case in 1998. But instead of going to the Supreme Court, the Government had filed a special leave petition to set up a special CBI court, much after the expiry of the stipulated time to do the same.

He said since this could have affected his 38 years of political life, he had appealed to the Supreme Court to constitute a special court and for which he was thankful. He himself opted for a day-to-day hearing to speed up justice. But the CBI had taken six months to set up the court and spent at least Rs. 35 lakhs on it.

"I have faith in the judiciary. But the special court is that by the CBI and for the CBI.''

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