The Hindu : Sheila to rely on development plank

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 20, 2003

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Sheila to rely on development plank

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 19. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today gave sufficient hint that she would contest the elections to the Delhi Assembly in November on the plank of the development carried out by her Congress Government during the past four years.

At a party rally in Sultanpuri in North-West Delhi, Ms. Dikshit remained focussed on the issue and claimed that the performance of the Delhi Government had been "excellent'' and up to the satisfaction of the people.

Ms. Dikshit said to look after the development work and other problems of the rural areas, the Delhi Government had recently constituted the Rural Development Board and a high-level committee has been set up to solve the problems pertaining to the 20 points programme and the Land Refort Act.

Stating that the ownership right of plots is being entered in the Revenue Record, Ms. Dikshit assured the people that no problem of their would be left unresolved. As for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies, she said the Delhi Government had passed a unanimous resolution in the Assembly in this regard on the basis of the Regularisation Policy of 1976-77. In that resolution, she said, all such colonies which had come up till 2002 were covered.

However, the Chief Minister, lamented that the resolution was lying with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA Government in the Centre, which had not responded to this urgent need. Ms. Dikshit declared that in view of the importance of the matter, the Delhi Government will file an appeal in court seeking reconsideration of the case on jhuggi-jhompri clusters. She also announced that alternative plots will be given to all deserving people.

Barring Ms. Dikshit all other who addressed the meeting criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for its religious intolerance and fanaticism. They asserted that the common man was more concerned with the problems of unemployment, economic exploitation, communal hatred, casteism, religious intolerance, corruption and terrorism and politics of hatred was something he could do without.

In her message for the meeting, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, stated that the rally was aimed at focussing on the party's stand on national, state and local issued as also on the NDA Government's performance.

Ms. Gandhi said while the BJP's agenda appeared to be spreading of politics of hatred and to divide the society and nation along communal and sectarian lines, the brand of Hindutva being preached by BJP has little to do with compassion, non-violence and tolerance of the true Hindu dharma.

She also accused the BJP of "neglect and non-performance'' when it came to issues of development and progress of the nation in areas of social justice, basic rights of food, shelter and work of the weaker sections of the society.

Also, when it came to combating terrorism and providing a sense of security to the citizens, the BJP has been found wanting, she charged.

Be it the Parliament attack in Delhi, the Akshardham Temple in Ahmedabad, or anywhere else, she accused the BJP of soft-pedalling and not showing the grit and determination to combat terror the way it should be.

Finally, Ms. Gandhi appealed to people to join hands with the Congress in providing a "new government which will protect the interest and rights of all its citizens, work with dedication and honesty to meet the needs and hopes of poor and the oppressed and build a strong, modern and prosperous India.''

The AICC general secretary, Ambika Soni, in her address also accused the BJP leadership of putting personal ambitions and party interests before unity and integrity of the nation and socio-economic upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden. "Hindutva and Sanskritik Rashtravad (cultural nationalism)'' have no meaning for the common man, she insisted, asserting all that the ordinary citizen wants is a job, two square meals and a roof for his family.

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