Dhumal rakes up schoolgirl rape, murder case in Kotkhai
SHIMLA: Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Friday raked up the infamous rape and murder case of a schoolgirl that took place in Kotkhai a few months ago.
Dhumal, who was campaigning for his blue-eyed boy and former horticulture minister Narendra Bragta in Kotkhai, hit out at chief minister Virbhadra Singh over the law and order situation.
“Children and women are unsafe in the state right now,” said Dhumal, while addressing a public rally at a ground close to the police station which was burnt down by an angry mob after Suraj Singh, the prime suspect in the case, died in police custody.
Dhumal accused Virbhadra Singh and his government of shielding those involved in the crime.
The girl’s body was found in a forested area in Hilaila village on July 5 this year.
Dhumal said that if voted to power, the BJP government would set up a 24X7 Gudiya helpline for women in distress. “Women’s safety will be our top agenda,” he said.
The former chief minister said that Virbhadra Singh was forced to shift from Theog constituency as the Gudiya case would have haunted him there.
“After Vidya Stokes opted out of the poll fray, Virbhadra Singh decided to contest from Theog but soon changed his mind,” Dhumal claimed.
It was Dhumal’s first tour to any assembly segment in the apple growing belt after being declared BJP’s chief ministerial candidate.
BJP WILL REVIVE NAINA DEVI-ANANDPUR SAHIB ROPEWAY PROJECT
ANANDPUR SAHIB: Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the BJP will revive the Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib ropeway project after coming to power in Himachal Pradesh. Dhumal made the announcement while talking to mediapersons at Anandpur Sahib on Friday.
The Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib ropeway project was conceived when the BJP government was in power in Himchal Pradesh and SAD-BJP government in Punjab.
However, after the Congress came to power in Himchal, the project was shelved.