Double talk on truant MLA

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 23.

The ``continued silence'' of the Delhi Congress(I) and its leadership at the Central level over the serious charges including corruption, cheating and forgery against the Deputy Leader of the party in Delhi Assembly, Mr. Sishpal, has exposed the party's double talk on morality in public life. It has put a question mark over its stand against the land mafia operating in the city.

Although Mr. Sishpal has been slapped with one criminal case after another, indicted by one inquiry report after another and has been raided by the CBI for selling government land in and around the Tughlakabad Fort, he continues in his official position.

A case has also been registered by the Crime Branch of the Delhi police under various sections of the IPC. He is probably the only MLA who has spent lakhs from his MLA constituency fund in unauthorised colonies of his area and faces charges on that account.

Despite all that, Mr. Sishpal continues to enjoy the confidence of the Chief Minister, Ms.Sheila Dikshit, and her loyalist MLAs. The DPCC(I) president, Mr. Subhash Chopra, has also refrained from interfering and has sought to distance himself away.

This has not sent the right signals as Mr. Chopra silence could have a damaging effect on the credibility of the party. What is most surprising, Mr. Sishpal has not been even served with a notice asking him to explain on the charges levelled against him.

``The DPCC(I) chief has to assert himself in such matters. He has to maintain discipline and apprise the high command of the potential damage that could take place due to actions of the leaders of MLAs. But Mr. Chopra is not doing that. By now Mr. Sishpal should have been asked to resign and a show cause notice should have been sent,'' remarked a senior leader.

In fact, the way Mr. Sishpal and his associates went about selling government land illegally, speaks volumes about infiltration of land mafia into the party circles. Instead of denouncing the activity, the Congress(I) leadership is giving the impression that it is solidly behind the man who left no opportunity in selling government land by forging documents.

The AICC(I) general secretary and Delhi incharge, Mr. Kamal Nath, who has been constantly dabbling in the administrative affairs of the Delhi Government, has also failed to take action against the MLA or even seek an explanation. No effort has been made to ascertain the facts and his resignation was turned down after a handful of loyalists made a demand.

If quick action is not taken, the party would find it difficult to defend on issues of corruption, it is felt.

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