DCC chiefs’ removal: Wasn’t consulted, says Virbhadra
Alleges Kehar Singh Khachi was removed from his post at Stokes’ behest
SHIMLA: Chief minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday expressed displeasure over state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s decision to replace district Congress committee (DCC) chiefs of Mandi, Shimla and Sundernagar.
“I was not consulted before the changes were effected,” he told reporters when asked to comment on the removal of the three DCC chiefs considered close to him.
Sukhu on Friday replaced president Kehar Singh Khachi, Puran Chand Thakur and Tek Chand Dogra heading the DCC units of Shimla, Mandi and Sundernagar respectively. Virbhadra did not make any mentions to Sukhu but rather put the onus on replacing Shimla DCC chief Kehar Singh Khachi on Congress octogenarian leader, irrigation and public health minister Vidya Stokes.
“Khachi was appointed DCC chief at the behest of IPH minister Vidya Stokes and was removed too because of her,” said Virbhadra, also indicating that health minister Kaul Singh Thakur’s differences with Puran Chand Thakur led to his removal.
“Similarly, Puran Thakur was made PCC president by health minister Kaul Singh Thakur and was removed by him. I don’t know what went wrong between them,” he said.
“I consider all my supporters equal. I haven’t removed any one,” said CM. Kehar Khachi also accompanied chief minister during the function organised on Ridge to mark Disability Day.
Shimla district rural chief Kehar Singh, once a trusted lieutenant of Vidya Stokes, shifted his loyalty towards Virbhadra after he took reins of the state in 2012.
However, Khachi was elevated as vice president of the state Congress committee. Parkash Thakur, staunch loyalist of Stokes, replaced Khachi.
Thakur is currently the chairman of Horticultural Produce Marketing Corporation (HPMC). Khachi was also issued show cause notices when Virbhadra loyalist former Sewa Dal president Baldev Thakur floated Virbhadra brigade, which was disbanded a day after its inception. The party later dropped the show cause notice.
However, he was elevated as vice president of the party’s state unit. Similarly, Mandi’s district president Puran Thakur was also removed and inducted vice president in the state unit . Puran, a close confidante of Kaul Thakur for a while, had been cozying up the CM.
Puran recently staked claim for the party’s ticket from Darang constituency represented by Kaul Thakur.
SUKHU ON FRIDAY REPLACED PRESIDENTS KEHAR SINGH KHACHI, PURAN CHAND THAKUR AND TEK CHAND DOGRA HEADING THE DCC UNITS OF SHIMLA, MANDI AND SUNDERNAGAR RESPECTIVELY