Shimla, March 31 -- The Chief Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh government, Sanjay Gupta, on Tuesday dismissed allegations against him as "misleading and sensational", claiming they are part of a larger conspiracy by a section of officers to malign his reputation.

Addressing the media in Shimla and later speaking to ANI, Gupta said the accusations regarding land purchases and procedural violations were "completely baseless" and aimed at causing him personal and professional harm.

"My first reaction is that these allegations are misleading and have been sensationalised deliberately to tarnish my image. This appears to be a conspiracy by a lobby of officers," Gupta said.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday levelled serious a...