Under attack from Bharatiya Janata Party, former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday brushed aside allegations of income tax evasion, money-laundering and forgery as "false and fabricated" and threatened action against those behind the "malicious" campaign ahead of Himachal assembly polls.
Lashing out at BJP leader Arun Jaitley for making the allegations, the former Himachal chief minister and state Congress chief said the "malicious" campaign against him is being carried out to divert his attention from the poll campaign and create confusion in the minds of voters.
"The information carried out by a section of the media is factually incorrect and details are being put out to create confusion in the public, and even divert my attention from the election campaign," he said.
Singh said, "The assessment proceedings are still pending before the appropriate authority for scrutiny. I have not received any questionnaire in this matter from the authority concerned...if there is any query I will reply to everything."
"Their ill-timed malicious campaign cannot replace facts and truth," he said, adding "I will take appropriate action against those who are involved in such malicious campaign against me after the elections are over."
"I want to tell those trying to defame me during these assembly elections that I leave to the public of Himachal Pradesh to decide my fate -- let the people judge me and let the IT department ask me whatever they wish to," Singh said claiming that people knew him well as he had spent 50 years in public life.
Jaitley alleged that Singh had altered his income tax account books from 2008 onwards to show a forged, back-dated contract and a highly inflated income of around Rs 6.5 crore.
He faced allegations of receiving payments from a steel firm which came to light recently after raids on it in 2010.
