Date:05/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/05/stories/2006030507270700.htm

National

Centre's nod for probe against Chautala

Special Correspondent

Allegations of corruption against former Haryana Chief Minister

CHANDIGARH: The Union Government has issued a notification authorising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations of corruption levelled against former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal president Om Parkash Chautala in the "charge-sheet" prepared by the Haryana unit of the Congress on the eve of the State Assembly elections in 2004.

Confirming the issuance of the notification, senior Haryana officials said that the State Government had requested the Centre last December to hand over the probe to the CBI.

Welcoming the move, former Haryana Advocate-General and senior lawyer Mohan Jain, who was one of the chief architects of the Congress charge-sheet, told this correspondent that it was only an "interim'' one and the Congress had promised to prepare a supplementary charge-sheet.

He said he was willing to contribute his mite again in the preparation of the supplementary "charge-sheet" against the Chautala clan.

Firebrand Congress MLA and another key player in the formulation of the "charge-sheet", Karan Singh Dalal, said that he would urge his party MLA and senior leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who headed the Congress Committee which prepared the "charge-sheet", to prepare the supplementary charge-sheet and submit it to the CBI.

Meanwhile, coming out of self-imposed political hibernation after the crushing defeat in the polls, Mr. Chautala on Friday addressed a rally of INLD workers in Panipat to protest against the decision of the Hooda regime to remove the name of the late Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, his father, from the Panipat Thermal Power Plant.

Mr.Chautala asserted that the people of Haryana loved their leader and come what may they would not allow anybody to disrespect him.

He said his father's name could not be removed from the people's hearts as the people respected him for his services and contribution to the uplift of the masses.

He warned the State Government to desist from playing with the people's sentiments.

"Rather it should adopt a constructive approach and provide electricity instead of changing the existing institutions and schemes", he suggested.

The INLD chief also criticized the State Government for its "total failure" to provide even basic needs like electricity, drinking and irrigation water.

He charged that corrupt officials and politicians were being given shelter and court cases were being withdrawn against them. Law and order had touched new "lows" and people were ashamed over the incidents of rape of schoolgirls by their teachers, he added.