Shimla: Arun Dhumal, who was named in a FIR for alleged wrongdoing in the land purchase made in Dharamsala, today questioned the increase in Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s income from apple orchards between 2008 to 2011, when he was union steel minister.
In a press conference at Shimla, Arun Dhumal raised question over the revised income-tax returns filed by Virbhadra Singh for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, which show a huge increase in his agricultural income from lakhs to crores. Dhumal questioned how Singh’s income had risen so dramatically in these years and it interestingly his aggregate income again declined massively in the subsequent year (2011-12) to Rs.25 lakh.
Armed with the proofs, Arun said in his original income-tax returns filed in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, Virbhadra showed his aggregate income as Rs.23,73,938, Rs.59,67,584 and Rs.40,13,712. But in the revised returns filed on March 2, 2012, his income rose to Rs.2.37 crore, Rs.3.25 crore and Rs.1.70 crore, respectively. Arun Dhumal asked that under which income-tax rules he had filed the returns.
Arun Dhumal, however pretended to be a non-political, asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to clarify all fuss related to this whole episode.
Earlier, in October 2012, just before Himachal Pradesh assembly election, one of leading newspaper had raised this issue and on subsequent day BJP national leader Arun Jaitley had alleged that Virbhadra had modified his income-tax returns during 2008-11 through forgery.
Earlier, Arun Dhumal had accused Chief Minister for using vigilance to settle political scores. This was his second press conference in two days and he stated to reveal more tomorrow.
