NEW DELHI: In an attempt to counter the aggressive stand of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the issue of sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas of the Capital, Congress MLAs led by former Delhi Minister Pervez Hashmi and former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Chopra on Friday started a relay hunger strike to protest against the sealing of such units and for seeking relief for lakhs of families affected by it.

Supporters

From early morning a large number of Congress cadres and supporters started gathering near the Kashmere Gate police station, the site of the relay hunger strike, in the Chandni Chowk Assembly constituency.

The formal hunger strike began after the arrival of both Mr. Hashmi and Mr. Chopra who led a group of 16 MLAs to seek the Centre's intervention in the matter and prevent lakhs of families from being displaced.

It is learnt that both the leaders have been given a green signal by the party leadership to take this step and take on the BJP.

Interestingly, the Delhi Congress has got divided into various groups and everyone seems to be pulling in different directions with no proper direction coming from the party high command on the issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hashmi observed that it was not an agitation against the UPA Government at the Centre but a voice for the people of Delhi who had elected them to the Delhi Assembly. Stating that at no point in time had they lashed out at the Centre or criticized its policies, Mr. Hashmi said it was heartening to note that the Union Urban Development Ministry had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the lines they had been sought.

"The mixed land use policy was in vogue in various parts of the world, including some cities in India but the same was being opposed in Delhi for some strange reason," he said, adding that he was confident the court would take a humanitarian view of the situation and give relief to the people so that the Government gets adequate time to settle various issues, including the sealing and demolitions in the Capital.

Mr. Hashmi also made it clear that they were fighting for the interests of the Congress party and not for any individual howsoever strong they might be. "We are here to voice the sentiments of lakhs of traders and other affected families. Such a situation is unfeasible and cannot be allowed to go on,'' he remarked.

NDA Government

On the other hand, Mr. Chopra said he had held several parleys with the senior party leaders on the issue and it was felt that the Congress had to take up the cause of the people.

Mr. Chopra said it was unfortunate that things were allowed to reach such a pass by the previous NDA Government and added that it was important that all aspects of the situation were kept in mind before taking any decision. Stressing the need to involve the MLAs in the decision-making process for Delhi, Mr. Chopra said it was high time that their views were sought on the Master Plan for Delhi before it was finalised.

Local people

Mr. Chopra said he would be undertaking a hunger strike on Saturday at Kalkaji along with local people and traders of the area. Mr. Chopra, who was the first one to take lead in the present agitation, said the presence of large number of MLAs indicated that there was all round support for the agitation and vowed to continue the programme in all the 70 Assembly segments of the city.

Asserting that they were not for any confrontation with the courts, Mr. Chopra said it was all a matter of proper representation of facts before the judiciary that now seems to have been done by the Union Government.

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