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Cong. faces embarrassment over Excise Policy issue

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 28. Causing great embarrassment to the ruling Congress, the Deputy Leader of the House, Sishpal, and the Deputy Chief Whip, Shadi Ram, today joined hands with the BJP in a virtual revolt against the Excise Policy of their own Government creating a ruckus in the Delhi Assembly leading to three adjournments and leaving many red faces in the Treasurey Benches.

The issue rocked the House soon after the Finance Minister, Mahinder Singh Saathi, finished his suo moto statement on the Excise Policy after the Question Hour giving certain clarifications. As Mr. Saathi took his seat, members of the ruling party led by Mr. Sishpal and Mr. Shadi Ram, were on their feet demanding that no liquor shop be opened in their area without the consent of the MLA. They wanted an assurance from the Minister in this regard and wanted him to make a statement in the House. At this, Mr. Saathi assured the members that whatever the grievances the members had, they could meet him in his Chamber and he would sort them out. But this did not satisfy the ruling party members and they kept on raising the issue.

Soon they were joined by the BJP members who were having a hearty laugh at the conduct of the ruling party MLAs. The BJP members provoked the Congress MLAs and started raising slogans against the bid to make distribution of liquor liberal in the Capital. Even as the BJP members were supporting the handful of Congress MLAs on the issue, the Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes. Soon after the House re-assembled, the situation did not change and the Congress MLAs including Mr.Shadi Ram, Mr. Sishpal, Bhisham Sharma, Mahinder Bhattewala and Surinder Kumar continued with the tirade against their own Government and Minister and got support from the BJP benches. Interestingly, despite assurances of addressing their grievances by Mr. Saathi, these MLAs continued to side with the BJP on the issue.

In fact, some MLAs including Mr. Bhisham Sharma, Sishpal, Shadi Ram, moved a resolution for implementing total prohibition in the Capital. But the same was rejected by the Speaker on technical grounds. But the embarrassment did not end here for the Sheila Dikshit Government reminding one of the ugly days when dissidents use to raise contentious issues to corner the Government. In fact, the issue of Excise Policy and Mr. Saathi making a statement in the House was totally "mishandled'' and all the mess could have been avoided had adequate measures been taken to take the members and others involved in the issue into confidence. At the end of the day, clearly the "clarification'' by Mr. Saathi reportedly at the instance of the Chief Minister and certain over-zeleous bureaucrats had misfired and had turned into a movement against the new liquor policy.

But what was most shocking was the manner in which the two MLAs -- Mr. Shadi Ram and Mr.Sishpal -- holding responsible posts went about the whole issue and did not mind taking the support of BJP on the issue.

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