The Hindu : New Delhi News : PM, Sonia's silence on sealing questioned

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Monday, Nov 13, 2006
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New Delhi

PM, Sonia's silence on sealing questioned

Staff Reporter

Centre giving false hope to lakhs of affected people: BJP

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister, Vijay Goel on Sunday questioned the silence of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi on the issue sealing in the Capital. "It is not only intriguing but also shocking that when lakhs are facing displacement and unemployment both Mr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi are indifferent to this human tragedy," he added.

In a statement here, Mr. Goel said the Congress-led Central Government had time and again assured the traders and the affected people during the last one year that they would not face any dislocation and a formula was being worked out to provide them relief. However, when the testing times came, the UPA Government dropped the traders like a hot potato and left them in the lurch. He charged the UPA Government with indulging in "drama" and giving false hope to the lakhs of affected people by constituting a Group of Ministers (GoM) whose sole aim from day one was to "sabotage" any kind of relief package for the traders and the poor labourers who stand affected by the sealing drive.

Mr. Goel said Ms. Gandhi had not spoken a word on the issue and Mr. Singh, after an initial intervention, had decided to distance himself from the whole process leaving the fate of the people in the hands of GoM that has failed to deliver and live up to the expectations. Instead of giving relief and providing succour to the people, the GoM headed by the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil has gone out of the way to reassure that it would implement the Supreme Court orders in letter and spirit.

Mr. Goel said it was unfortunate that Ms. Gandhi, who rushed to her constituency Rai Bareli on the slightest excuse has not found any time to listen to the grievances of the people of Delhi and instead left the matter in the hands of an "incompetent GoM" and the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit whose "stand" is well known.

Ridiculing the Congress party's slogan of "Congress Ka Haath - Garib Ke Saath", Mr. Goel said lakhs of labourers are on the roads without any jobs due to the sealing drive exposing the false claims of the Congress party that it stood for the welfare of the poor and working class. He said UPA Government did not even hesitate once to amend the Constitution for saving Ms. Gandhi and other MPs from being disqualified on the issue of office of profit but has shied away from working the same direction in case of Delhi. The BJP leader said the need of the hour was to work out a relief package including rehabilitation in a time bound manner.

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