The Hindu : Sheila flays BJP's double standards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

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Sheila flays BJP's double standards

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 9. Accusing the Delhi BJP and its president, Madan Lal Khurana, of indulging in "double talk'', the state Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today charged that neither Mr. Khurana nor the Vajpayee Government was interested in granting Delhi full Statehood. This is why they were vesting various powers in a "political individual'' rather than in the duly elected Government.

Ms. Dikshit was reacting to reports that Mr. Khurana was likely to be either inducted into the Union Cabinet or given that status with some responsibility in the Union Urban Development Ministry. "This is nothing but double standards of the BJP and the Vajpayee Government. The BJP had raised a hue and cry over the Statehood issue. Suddenly they have become silent and nothing is being said about it now. This is because a single individual was being vested with powers which should have been passed on to the Delhi Government long ago as it had been demanding this for quite some time now,'' Ms. Dikshit remarked.

First Mr. Khurana blackmailed his party leadership to get himself appointed as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairman and now he is seeking to get a position in the Union Urban Development Ministry. This should be roundly condemned.

Ms. Diksshit said it would be most unfortunate to give Mr. Khurana some extra-constitutional powers and authority in the Union Urban Development Ministry. If powers regarding land and related issues were passed on to the Delhi Government, it could do much for the betterment of the people and the city. "The BJP has clearly panicked and is resorting to all sorts of tactics to win the Assembly elections, scheduled later this year.'' Ms. Dikshit said. Instead of empowering the Delhi Government with these powers, the Centre was going out of the way to appoint and empower political entities and thus clearing the decks for confrontation.

``Why has Mr. Khurana suddenly become silent on the demand for Statehood? The ball is in the court of the Centre. We have sent our recommendations to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani. Instead of seeking more powers for himself, Mr. Khurana should plead the case of the people of Delhi and get the Central Government to act on the Statehood issue. But now he will not raise the demand as he is slowly getting what he wanted in the first place. It is now clear that the hype on Statehood and other issues was raised for personal gains rather than for the people of Delhi,'' she added.

Ms. Dikshit said the BJP did not raise a word when the Transaction of Business Rules were amended by the Centre and the duly elected Government was stripped off powers. All along it had been stating that Delhi should be given more powers as the present set-up lacked accountability and was heavily loaded in favour of the bureaucracy and the Central Government representative.

All these vital issues have taken a backseat and the efforts of the BJP and its leader are concentrated on empowering an individual who claims to be the `pujari' of people of Delhi. "It seems the "pujari'' has turned selfish and is only interested in his welfare and not the people of Delhi.''

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Sheila flays BJP's double standards