PTI   
 

Shimla, Jul 29: Himachal Pradesh Transport and Tourism Minister G S Bali today resigned from the Cabinet in the wake of a TV channel's expose on his alleged "vulgar" birthday party even as the Opposition BJP demanded imposition of President's Rule in the state.
"Bali submitted his resignation to me late last night which I faxed to Governor V S Kokje. I received a communication from Raj Bhavan that Bali's resignation has been accepted," Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh told reporters.

Singh said though Bali told him the sting operation seemed to be motivated as it allegedly showed only a part of his birthday celebration at a hotel in Macleodganj on July 26 night, "but without going into merit or demerit of the incident, I asked him to resign to keep intact the high values of the Congress".

Terming the sting operation as "motivated" and "part of a conspiracy against him", Bali demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into his conduct in the party.

"It's part of a conspiracy hatched by people who are not happy with my rise in politics," Bali told reporters.

On the other hand, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal demanded immediate dismissal of the government and imposition of President's Rule in the state.

The TV expose purportedly showed Bali dancing with some women. He and his friends, a few industrialists and bureaucrats reportedly joined him in the party that continued till late in the night.