One-upmanship on CNG issue

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 12.

It is once again time for indulging in the game of one upmanship for political parties in the Capital. The ensuing CNG crisis has given a grand opportunity to many a leader in the BJP and Congress(I) to score a political point and show each other in poor light. In the entire melee, the genuine cause and the suffering of people has taken a backseat.

Adding to this is the continued indifference of the Central Government which has sought to treat the issue in a highly ``callous and unrealistic'' manner conveying the impression that it cared little for the trauma presently being undergone by the CNG vehicle owners and the people of Delhi. This apathy of the Central Government has left people wondering if the NDA Government has time to sort out the problems of Delhiites. The past track record of the Vajpayee Government in this regard is also not all that encouraging.

Be it the issue of relocation of industries which had rendered lakhs of people unemployed and thrown many people out of business or that of regularisation of unauthorised colonies, the Vajpayee Government has shown total indifference to the sufferings of the residents of Delhi. This despite the fact that the Delhi BJP Lok Sabha MPs have conveyed their strong resentment to Mr. Vajpayee and the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, on many occasions but without much success. ``The Central leadership's lack of interest in the affairs of Delhi is going to cost the party dearly in any future electoral battle. The Prime Minister has failed to intervene in the matter and has shown little interest in sorting matters which is very unfortunate,'' rued a senior Delhi BJP leader.

Suddenly, after a long lull, two former Chief Ministers, Mr. Madan Lal Khurana and Mr. Sahib Singh Verma, have decided to become active in city politics. They have taken up the issue of CNG despite knowing very well that it was the Central Government which was responsible for the mess. Both Mr. Verma and Mr. Khurana sought to organise dharnas and protests without taking the local party leadership and its president, Mr. Mange Ram Garg, into confidence. ``Both leaders are trying to settle scores at the local level. How come suddenly they have realised the enormity of the problem. Where were they all this time? They should not forget that this present mess is their gift to the people of Delhi,'' says another leader.

Interestingly, even the BJP party leaders acknowledge that the public ire is directed against them and not the Delhi Government. What has hurt many is that the Prime Minister has failed to convene a meeting of the Central Ministries concerned to sort out the issue and reassure the people. The BJP image has suffered badly and the impression going down the line is that these protests are just an attempt to deflect criticism and public wrath. Interestingly, both parties are lashing out at each other but no way out is being suggested to mitigate the sufferings of lakhs of commuters and thousands of CNG vehicles owners whose future hangs in balance.

On the other hand, the Congress(I) has found an issue to indulge in BJP bashing and has started mobilising the various auto- rickshaw and private bus operators unions against the Central Government. The belligerent stand adopted by the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, despite being bogged down due by her illness, and the backing by the local party unit president, Mr. Subhash Chopra, has clearly put the Congress(I) ahead in the race.

Both the Delhi Government and the Delhi Congress(I) have been able to successfully corner the Central Government and send a message that it was the NDA Government which had mishandled the entire situation. It has sought to hype up the CNG issue keeping in mind the MCD elections which are scheduled for early next year.

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