Ramesh has alleged irregularities in the lease of land to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) by Dhumal government in 2002 that caused a loss of Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer.

There are indications the current Congress CM Virbhadra Singh, whom the BJP has been targeting after the CBI started a probe against him, could drag the Dhumal-Thakur duo and the Dharamshala land deal under scanner, something the Congress central leadership too is seeking.

However, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in a statement said,”It is really unfortunate that Congress is dragging HPCA in their personal vendetta against Anurag Thakur who happens to be one of the young charismatic leaders of the BJP”.

“Blatant constitutional impropriety, patent conflict of interest, glaring misuse of office, usurpation of public property and duping of public exchequer is writ large in their case”, Ramesh said.

The HPCA said the “land is leased to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, and not to Thakur or his family in their individual capacities”. “They should if they are so serious about this”, BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Taking potshots at the Narendra Modi government, he said: “The BJP and its leaders have become habitual offenders in committing gross constitutional impropriety, misuse of office, conflict of interest and brazen conduct, which is the very anti-thesis of constitutional democracy”. “BJP has also tried to come up with allegations against the present Himachal Pradesh chief minister Vir Bhadra Singh though I don’t want to get into the issue of allegations and counter allegations”, he said.

Ramesh added: “Under rule 8(i) of the Himachal Pradesh Lease Rules, 1993, land could be leased only at 18 per cent of the latest highest market value of the land”.

Further, the Congress said the land was granted even before the HPCA had put in a formal application, which was made a fortnight later in June 2002.

It was to build a stadium and the state government which should have annually earned Rs.

The route adopted for this was fraudulent, said Ramesh. The party has alleged that PK Dhumal and his son were involved in land grabbing case in 2002 in the name of cricket.

However, he then elaborated about the fraud played by converting HPCA from society under the Public Trusts Act to a section 25 company under the Companies Act.

Ramesh released documents to claim that Anurag had registered a Section 25 company in Kanpur under the name “Himalayan Players Cricket Association”, which has the same abbreviated form as the state cricket body, which is a society.