The Hindu : New Delhi News : Balli breaks his `fast unto death' on demolitions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 13, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Balli breaks his `fast unto death' on demolitions

Staff Reporter

Forcibly lifted by police; admitted to hospital

IN INTENSIVE CARE: BJP leader Harsharan Singh Balli being offered juice by former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana and South Delhi MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra, in New Delhi on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: The former BJP Minister, Harsharan Singh Balli, who has locked horns with the Delhi leadership of the party, on Sunday broke his `fast unto death' against the ongoing demolitions in the Capital after he was forcibly lifted by the police late on Saturday night and admitted to the Deen Dayal Upadhaya Hospital when his condition started to deteriorate.

Later, Mr. Balli broke his fast when the former Chief Minister, Madan Lal Khurana and South Delhi MP, Vijay Kumar Malhotra offered him juice.

Mr. Balli had gone on a `fast unto death' protesting against the ongoing demolitions and failure of the Sheila Dikshit Government to prevent them in various parts of the Capital.

Condition deteriorated

Mr. Balli, who is a heart and diabetes patient, had been sitting on fast for the past one week.

His condition started to deteriorate on Friday but he refused to give up. It is understood that keeping in mind the situation, the police was directed to `lift' Mr. Balli forcibly.

BJP workers detained

When the police arrived at Hari Nagar Ghanta Ghar where Mr. Balli had been sitting on the fast, his supporters prevented the police personnel from taking him away. The police also detained some BJP workers who were later released.

Mr. Balli was rushed to the hospital where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

On Sunday, Mr. Khurana and Mr. Malhotra persuaded Mr. Balli to give up his fast in the interest of the party and his workers as he had managed to convey his point of view in a convincing manner.

Interestingly, the Delhi BJP president, Hash Vardhan and the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, were found missing throughout the week although the former BJP firebrand leader, Uma Bharti, went to Hari Nagar to extend support to Mr. Balli's cause.

Action against Balli

The `fast unto death' by Mr. Balli has led to a lot of bad blood within the Delhi BJP and now the party stands divided into two sections on the issue of taking disciplinary action against Mr. Balli for terming both Mr. Mukhi and Dr. Harsh Vardhan as `loyal opposition' who always favoured the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit letting her off the hook on several occasions.

On his part, Dr. Vardhan has maintained a dignified silence only stating that the programme did not have the approval of the party.

However, he has refused to comment on what disciplinary action was being contemplated against Mr.Balli.

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