The Hindu : New Delhi News : Demolition controversy spells trouble for Sheila

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 20, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Demolition controversy spells trouble for Sheila

Staff Reporter

Chief Minister takes responsibility for stopping the razing of BJP MLA Sahib Singh Chauhan's Yamuna Vihar house

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit seems to have landed herself in big trouble without realising the implications of her actions. With the Delhi High Court taking a serious view of the stalling of demolition at the Yamuna Vihar residence of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and Chief Whip Sahib Singh Chauhan, Ms. Dikshit is possibly faced with the charge of trying to scuttle implementation of court orders.

Delhi BJP president and MLA Harsh Vardhan, who alleged that the Congress-run Municipal Corporation of Delhi was targeting BJP leaders, raised the issue of demolition at Mr. Chauhan's residence in the Delhi Assembly on Thursday. Immediately, another BJP MLA from Karawal Nagar, Mohan Singh Bisht, entered the House and quietly informed the Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Mukhi, that his "house was being demolished" by MCD and he was rushing to the scene of the incident.

Mr. Mukhi immediately got up and raised the matter with the Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, and sought a reply from the Chief Minister. The BJP legislators even entered the well of the House but were asked by the Speaker to return to their seats.

Even as Mr. Mukhi and Dr. Harsh Vardhan accused the Chief Minister of doing nothing, an irritated Ms. Dikshit got up and accused the BJP leaders of playing petty politics for selfish gains. Ms. Dikshit said she would have the matter looked into as soon as the House was adjourned but this did not satisfy the BJP. Upset at the attitude of the BJP leaders, Ms. Dikshit got up again and, pointing towards Mr. Mukhi and Mr. Chauhan, said: "We had got the demolition of Mr. Chauhan's house stalled on Wednesday and told the MCD not to proceed with the order of demolishing the illegal structures. Mr. Mukhi you had called me up twice for Mr. Chauhan's work and I had returned your call stating that the demolition had been stopped and the concerned Deputy Commissioner had been asked to postpone the action for the time being. We helped you on Wednesday and we will again want to help you with regard to Ms. Bisht's matter but this is not the right way of getting things done."

It was later in the day that Ms. Dikshit and her close supporters realised that the High Court had taken a serious view of the situation and the Chief Minister had spoken something that could have been avoided. It is now being felt that Ms. Dikshit's statement inside the House about having got the demolition stalled could land her in trouble if the Deputy Commissioner, Ashok Kumar, who has been fined Rs. 50,000, decides to state this fact in his report to the court.

"It is on record that Ms. Dikshit had claimed that she was instrumental in stalling the demolition exercise. This not only infringes upon implementation of court orders but also exposes the strong nexus that exists between the Chief Minister and Mr. Mukhi who has been faced with the charge of being a loyal opposition by his own party men," a senior MLA stated.

Interestingly, in the case of Mr. Bisht it turned out that it was not the MCD squads but an agitated crowd of local residents who ransacked his residence in protest against the poor water and power situation in the constituency.

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