The Hindu : New Delhi News : Protest against monitoring panel

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Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
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New Delhi

Protest against monitoring panel

Staff Reporter

Photo: S. Subramanium

Protest rally: BJP activists led by Vijay Goel staging a demonstration outside the office of the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Vijay Goel and his supporters were on Monday prevented by the Delhi police from entering India Habitat Centre, where the office of the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee is situated. Mr. Goel then staged a demonstration to protest against the panel’s style of functioning and its “autocratic attitude”.

Mr. Goel charged that the Monitoring Committee was working in a manner that surpassed the power accorded to it by the Supreme Court. “Such committees do not hear any arguments or appeals,” he said, adding that it should be made clear to the public as to what are the terms, powers and tenure of the committee.

“When the Supreme Court gives a chance to both the parties to state their version before deciding a case, why is it that the Monitoring Committee does not hear the residents or traders before sealing their shops,” he asked.

Leading a group of traders and members of various residents’ welfare associations, Mr. Goel was to reach the venue of his protest unannounced around 1 p.m. But the police got a whiff of it and closed all the gates beforehand. When Mr. Goel reached the spot with his supporters, who were holding placards, he was told by the police that he could go in with only a couple of persons as a demonstration was not allowed in the area.

At this, Mr. Goel addressed his supporters and charged that the presence of the Monitoring Committee in the last three years has intervened in the rights of the executive and the legislature. “Once the Master Plan has been implemented, where is the need of the Monitoring Committee? It should be scrapped,” he demanded.

The BJP leader also demanded to know why officials in the DDA, the NDMC and the MCD were being paid salaries if everything was to be done by the Monitoring Committee and the Court Commissioners. He said the continuation of the panel and these commissioners undermined the importance of other Government officials.

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