Harish Rawat abetting corruption: Uttarakhand BJP leaders

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) Accusing Uttarakhand ChiefMinister Harish Rawat of "abetting corruption", BJP todaycharged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her deputy RahulGandhi with "complicity" and asked them to respond to graftcharges against him. State BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister RameshPokhriyal, Satpal Maharaj and Anil Baluni, today held a pressconference in which Baluni alleged that "Harda Tax" has beenimposed in the state as Rawat wants to recover the money heallegedly spent on winning over MLAs during the recentpolitical crisis in the state. ‘Harda’, he said, was the name used for Rawat by othersin the state. Maharaja demanded a high level probe into charges of landgrabbing against an OSD and Adviser to the Chief Minister,claiming that he will resign from the active politics if theywere proved wrong. BJP will take to matter to the Presidentand Union Home Ministry. BJP leaders alleged that there was "rampant corruption"in mining and excise department and said three stingsinvolving Rawat and other Congress leaders had "showed" it. Rawat has rejected these charges in the past, accusingBJP and the Centre of running a campaign against him afterfailing to topple his government. Maharaja said Uttarakhand is considered ‘dev bhumi’ (landof Gods) where sins committed elsewhere are washed away butRawat’s "sins" in ‘dev bhum’ cannot be pardoned. Targeting Congress’ central leadership, Ramesh said,"Rawat’s misdeeds have a connection with Delhi… It showsSonia and Rahul Gandhi’s unbounded love for him. Sonia Gandhishould answer." PTI KRRG