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Sheila faces public wrath

Staff Reporter

Chief Minister's car gheraoed for 30 minutes by agitated BJP workers

VENTING IRE: BJP supporters and angry residents blocking the vehicle of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI: For the first time since the demolition drive began in the Capital in December, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had to face public wrath on Friday as protesting workers of Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing gheraoed her car in South Delhi while she was going to inaugurate an event there. They also waved black flags and shouted slogans against her government for not safeguarding the interests of the people of Delhi.

The incident took place near Saket when Ms. Dikshit was going to inaugurate the "Garden Tourism Festival" at the Garden of Five Senses in Mehrauli. Nearly 50 irate BJP activists came on to the road and blocked her entourage. As only a handful of police personnel were accompanying her, they could not resist the protesters' bid to obstruct the movement of her car for at least 30 minutes.

Shouting slogans against the Delhi Government and the Congress, the BJP workers accused the Chief Minister of inaction for not finding a way out for citizens whose properties were being razed. They also alleged that neither the Delhi Government nor the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was presenting correct facts in the court leading to adverse orders. They also accused her and her MP son Sandeep Dikshit of "indulging in corrupt practices to save their own properties which too have illegal constructions".

Ms. Dikshit tried to talk to the protesters to convince them that she could do nothing as the mater was in court. She reasoned that her government had nothing to do in the issue as it was related to the civic body. But this did not pacify the protestors. It was only after the police arrived at the scene that Ms. Dikshit's car was allowed to leave for the inaugural ceremony.

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