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BJP blames Govt. for `black' Diwali

Staff Reporter

`Less noise and air pollution as traders didn't celebrate the festival this year'

UP IN ARMS: BJP leader Vijay Goel at the traders' "Jan Adalat" on the sealing issue at the party headquarters on Wednesday. Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI: Former Union Minister Vijay Goel on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of rubbing salt into the wounds of the Capital's traders by claiming that Diwali was less polluting this year due to initiatives taken by the Delhi Government.

Describing the claims of the Chief Minister as bogus and out of place, the senior BJP leader said Ms. Dikshit should know that lakhs of traders and their families did not celebrate Diwali this year and this was one of the major reasons why there was less noise and air pollution. "Does the Chief Minister want the people of Delhi not to celebrate Diwali every year and does she want such chaos and confusion to prevail in Delhi forever?" he asked.

Claiming that the "Jan Adalat" public hearing held by him on Wednesday had attracted hundreds of traders who have filed their suggestions, Mr. Goel said he would be meeting the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee on Thursday along with a delegation of traders to seek postponement of the proposed sealing exercise to be undertaken from November 1.

He said the traders had decided to come under the Delhi Vyapari Andolan forum to present their case before the Monitoring Committee and demand justice from the Delhi Government.

Demanding that the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021 be brought forward without any delay, Mr. Goel said: "the Congress Government cannot continue to blame the previous NDA regime for the delay in bringing the new Master Plan for Delhi-2021 as the UPA Government had also completed two and a half years of being in power".

"It is unfortunate that despite entering its third year in office, the UPA Government has failed to notify the new Master Plan " he added.

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