Sting video case: Won't be deterred by Centre using CBI to target me, says Harish Rawat

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who was quizzed by CBI in a sting video case, has accused the Centre the agency to target him after losing the political battle in the state and said he is not afraid of going to jail. “BJP and the Modi government at the Centre are using CBI as a tool to settle scores with political adversaries. We will have to respond to this politically and go to people to expose BJP’s sinister design,” Rawat said addressing his party leaders here yesterday.

“I am not afraid of going to jail. I have fought all along my political career. My station in politics today is due to the blessings of the people. I leave it to them and party workers to give a reply to the injustice of the BJP,” he said.

“If going to jail or making any other sacrifice is the precondition for working in the interest of the people of the state, I would not hesitate doing that,” he added. Rawat asked his party workers to reach out to people and expose the BJP’s “conspiracy” against democratic forces.

The chief minister alleged that BJP had no faith in democratic institutions or the judiciary and had resorted to the CBI to take on him after losing the political battle against him.

“We don’t need to fear any probe. We have to act with restraint and keep ourselves awake to the conspiratorial moves of the BJP,” he said.

Rawat was examined by CBI for nearly five hours on May 24 in connection with a preliminary inquiry into a sting operation purportedly showing him offering bribes to rebel Congress lawmakers to support him during a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly.

Former Union Minister of State for Home and Defence Jitendra Singh, also present at the gathering, said the manner in which Uttarakhand government had saved democracy had given a new lease of life to opposition governments in several states. Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay claimed the party had emerged stronger out of the political crisis created by the BJP in the state.

“We unitedly faced the challenge thrown by BJP and won finally. We have emerged stronger out of the crisis. We have to go from village to village and booth to booth to expose the BJP’s unholy intentions,” he said.