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BJP divided on powers for Delhi Govt.

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI SEPT. 6. Differences have emerged in the Bharatiya Janata Party over the manner in which two missives were issued by the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday, wresting the Delhi Government of important legislative and administrative powers.

While the Delhi BJP president, Madan Lal Khurana, has opposed the move, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, reads nothing in these amendments and terms them as "minor."

What has pained senior BJP leaders here is the timing of the amendments or the clarifications by the Home Ministry. Some leaders felt that the Congress had made the "right noises" in the past two days and succeeded in projecting itself as a victim of "vindictive politics being practised by the BJP and the Centre."

The unexpected stand of Mr. Khurana has further aggravated the situation. Even the Union Labour Minister, Sahib Singh Verma, who as Chief Minister of Delhi had got more powers for the Delhi Government in 1998, is unhappy at the Home Ministry's orders.

Mr. Khurana and Mr. Verma felt that the advantage had gone the Congress way at a time when the local BJP unit was ready to take on the Sheila Dikshit Government. And that a new lease of life had been given to the Congress Government. Both the leaders felt that there was no need for such missives when the party was demanding full Statehood for the Capital — the BJP's claims of waging a battle for Delhi's Statehood will now sound hollow.

Mr. Mukhi, on the other hand, came out strongly in favour of the letters. He maintained that nothing had been done to curtail the powers of the Sheila Dikshit Government. "Instead of extending cooperation to the Union Government to get decisions favourably implemented for the betterment of Delhi, the Chief Minister is looking to score political points.''

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