The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress and BJP criticise L-G’s decision on ID card

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Monday, Jan 07, 2008
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Congress and BJP criticise L-G’s decision on ID card

Staff Reporter

DPCC president describes the move as “deplorable”

‘It would only lead to corruption and harassment of the citizens’
‘Decision was bound to create a rift between the L-G and the State Government’

NEW DELHI: Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have criticised the Lieutenant-Governor’s recent decision to make carrying of identity proofs mandatory in the Capital from January 15.

In a statement, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president J.P. Agarwal described the move as “deplorable” and said it would only lead to corruption and harassment of the citizens.

“Delhi is a world class metropolitan city in which people from all over the country live. A large number of people visit the Capital daily for various purposes and the new move would put all these people to a lot of harassment. If other States also make it mandatory for people from outside to carry identity proofs, then people of Delhi visiting other States would face similar harassment,” he said.

Mr. Agarwal said many people residing in the Capital are daily wagers who live in slum clusters and resettlement colonies and a majority of them do not have photo identity cars or any other identity proof.

He said the Delhi Congress was totally opposed to implementing the decision in haste. In a separate statement, senior BJP leader Vijay Goel said the announcement was bound to create a rift between the Lieutenant-Governor and the State Government. “Although the intention is good, but the decision to make it mandatory for everyone to carry identity proofs from January 15 is not practical. It seems that the move was not discussed with the Centre and even the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, was not aware about it. Such a move would provide a weapon to the police to harass innocent and law-abiding citizens,” he added. Mr. Goel pointed out that earlier also several orders like ban on smoking in public places, begging and dumping of garbage on the roads had been issued, but none could be implemented.

Licence

Also, he criticised the Lieutenant-Governor’s directive that drivers plying their vehicles in the Capital must have a Delhi licence. “Licences have validity all over the country and for debarring licenses issued by other States would require an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act,” he pointed out.

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