The Hindu : New Delhi News : Infighting set to reach Sonia's doorstep

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 20, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Infighting set to reach Sonia's doorstep

Staff Reporter

Sheila skips party's executive body meeting on demolitions

NEW DELHI: With Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit deciding to stay away from the executive committee meeting of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, the intra-party struggle is likely to reach the doorstep of the party high command. The meeting deliberated on the issue of demolitions and what could be done to get the matter resolved amicably. It also decided to approach the High Court on behalf of the party during the next hearing.

Citing administrative pre-occupation, lack of agenda and the demolition matter being sub judice, the Chief Minister did not turn up for the meeting. It is learnt that Ms. Dikshit had already informed Mr. Sharma in advance her intention to not attend the meeting and had even written to the party high command. It is learnt she had sought postponement of the meeting till late February and circulation of a formal agenda a week in advance before a meeting was held. She had also asked for consultations to be held with her on the matter before any such meeting was held in future.

The Chief Minister had informed that she was leaving for the AICC session in Hyderabad on Friday morning and had little time to spare for the meeting. Observers here recalled that Ms. Dikshit had walked out of the last meeting of the party's executive held on April 19 last year.

Refusing to postpone the meeting, DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma is learnt to have not taken kindly to the assertions of Ms. Dikshit and decided to go ahead with the meeting that began at the DPCC office at 4 p.m. Interestingly, a number of Delhi Government Ministers including A.K. Walia, Raj Kumar Chauhan, Arvinder Singh Lovely and Haroon Yusuf attended the meeting along with senior party leaders Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, Ajay Maken, Bhisham Sharma and Mala Ram Gangwal (MLAs).

It is learnt that the DPCC meeting expressed serious concern over the latest court orders and their impact on the people of Delhi. It was felt that such massive demolitions were not possible and some relief package needs to be worked out. Emerging out of the meeting, Mr. Sharma said: "No individual, however high and strong she may be, has the right to decide on the future of Delhi. No individual can decide on the future of the Corporation or the party as this right rests only with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. We will abide by the decision of Ms. Gandhi on all issues including trifurcation and Ms. Dikshit has no right to decide on this matter."

Asked why the Chief Minister did not attend the executive committee meeting, Mr. Sharma said Ms. Dikshit had sought permission from him to be exempted from the important meeting. He said the party had asked its legal cell to study the whole issue and approach the High Court in the interest of the people.

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