Addressing a press conference here, Sukh Ram, who is also chairman of the Committee on Manpower Planning and Resource Mobilisation, advised the Congressmen not to wait for his support to their political moves. He made it clear that HVC support to the Dhumal-led coalition government would not be withdrawn. ``Nothing can be said about the future of the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre but so far as Himachal is concerned, my party support to the BJP will continue, even if things go wrong in Delhi,'' Sukh Ram declared.

Quite satisfied with the state government's initiatives on the proposed CBI probe against former CM Virbhadra Singh, the HVC president said there was sufficient evidence, material and proofs available to substantiate the charges, which the HVC had levelled in its chargesheet against Singh. The HVC leader rejected the contention of the Congress leaders that demand for CBI probe was politically motivated as Sukh Ram to settle personal scores with the former CM.

``It is totally wrong,'' he claimed and reminded Virbhadra Singh that a demand for such an inquiry against him was first made by Krantikari Morcha in 1987-88, which also submitted a memorandum to the president of India. The morcha was led by Shyama Sharma, a former minister and senior BJP leader. Later, the BJP had also levelled the same charges, Sukh Ram alleged. He challenged the former CM to show proofs, if he was exonerated by any court of the country or to offer himself for an inquiry by some independent agency. The HVC president even went to the extent of saying that it was the duty of all political parties, including the BJP, to provide supporting evidence to the CBI on the charges against Virbhadra Singh when the CBI team visits Shimla.

Flanked by Kewal Ram Chauhan, HVC general secretary, Sukh Ram criticised the Congress leaders and MLAs, who were opposing the CBI probe. Such action by MLAs, who had issued statements, amounts to direct interference in the investigations and warrants legal action, he said. Sukh Ram claimed that five to seven Congress MLAs recently had also tried to interfere in the judicial process by writing to a Delhi court about alleged ``under-assessments'' of his (Sukh Ram's) property. This, the HVC president clearly shows involvement of some Congress leaders in the conspiracy against him.

Chauhan contested the claims of Congress leaders that the former Chief Minister had been exonerated of the charges levelled against him time and again. He alleged that no trial had so far been held against him in any of the cases. ``If Virbhadra Singh has been exonerated, let him produce the court judgments,'' he demanded.

Sukh Ram later announced that he had chalked out a week-long tour of Mandi district to hold public meetings in various constituencies along with HVC ministers from the district.