Make Virbhadra resign or else sack him: BJP

In the wake of framing of charges against Union minister Virbhadra Singh in a graft case, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said he should tender his resignation and if he refuses to do so, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should sack him immediately.

"BJP demands that Vir Bhadra Singh should resign immediately. If he refuses to do so, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should sack him," party spokesperson Jagat Prakash Nadda said.

Nadda, who was a minister in the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh till recently, said charges have been framed against half the Union ministers in the United Progressive Alliance government and the process is underway for several others.

In Shimla, Special Judge B L Soni, who had reserved framing charges on conclusion of arguments on June 6, said that sufficient evidence existed for framing of charges against Singh and his wife in the CD case.

The couple was allegedly recorded having a conversation with IAS officer Mohinder Lal and some industrialists regarding monetary transactions.

The special court framed charges under Section 120 B of the IPC and Sections 7,11 and 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act against Singh.

Singh was the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh when the purported conversation took place.

Nadda said Union ministers A Raja, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Suresh Kalmadi were some of the leaders in the UPA dispensation who were involved in scams.

BJP Vice-President in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Kalraj Mishra said there have been numerous scams in the UPA-II government and this case is the latest addition to the series.