Several social and youth organisations today came out in support of the former Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, whose name has been dragged into the spurious drugs scam in the state, and condemned the "vilification" campaign launched against him.
During a joint meeting held here today, several social organisations, NGOs, youth bodies and members of the civil society condemned the outrage against the minister and said that there was a "deep rooted conspiracy" to malign the image of the pro-Jammu leader.
"We condemn the character assignation campaign launched by the anti-national elements against the minister for Irrigation, Flood Control and PHE. There seems to be a deep rooted conspiracy to malign and brow beat a pro-Jammu Congress leader," President Jammu Youth Forum (JYF) R S Chib, told reporters here.
The representatives of other organisations added that people were not even waiting for the outcome of the probe ordered by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the matter.
The purchase of spurious drugs for supply to the government hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir was ordered by the purchase committee, in which the Minister for Health had no role, they claimed.
Earlier, an inquiry committee, set up by the state government on April 4, had given clean chit to Sharma in the case pertaining to supply of Rs 11.32 lakh spurious drugs 'Amoxicillin Trihydrate' to the J-K government.
It ordered a probe by Crime Branch and Vigilance Organisation against the proprietors of Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals and officers of purchase committee-II of Medical Education department in the case.
According to the report submitted by the committee, owners of Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals flouted government norms while participating in the tendering process.
The company supplied spurious drugs in connivance with officials of the Purchase Committee-II, who without verifying the tender documents and credentials of the supplier, approved the rates by abusing their official position, causing wrongful gain to suppliers and huge loss to public exchequer.
