Demanding the sacking of the Congress Government in Delhi, the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee listing the Government’s failures on multiple fronts. The party alleged that the Capital’s image has taken a beating and life for its people has become “unbearable”.
The BJP had unveiled the “charge sheet” against the Government on Thursday in which the National Crime Records Bureau’s statistics on crimes against women and children in the Capital were highlighted. Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India indicting the Delhi Government’s failures in health, electricity, water, transport and public works were extensively quoted as well.
“This memorandum is being presented to bring to your notice the complete breakdown of public order in the Capital leading to absolute chaos and anarchy where the citizens feel unsafe and deprived of their right to live their lives safely and with dignity. Delhi has witnessed on an average four rape cases a day since the beginning of this year, which is twice more than what happened last year. Since 2005, when more than 600 cases of rapes happened in the city, there has been continuous deterioration of law and order,” the memorandum said.
The BJP alleged that the Chief Minister was blaming the Delhi Police for the situation without accepting the “collective responsibility” of her government for the poor law and order situation. “Also, both in Delhi and at the Centre, we have a Congress-led government, so the onus of responsibility lies on the Congress Chief Minister and her colleagues.”
The memorandum stated: “The city is bracing for water riots as the Government has failed to provide water supply to most residents. On top of that, the water tariff has been hiked by 1,110 per cent in the last 15 years making water unaffordable for Delhi citizens. On the power supply front, this Government has brazenly favoured power companies resulting in skyrocketing of power tariff, which has hurt the common people. You would be shocked to know that in the past 18 to 24 months the power tariff rate has increased by 60 per cent.”
It further stated that “Residents across the city are out on the streets to protest almost every day, as the Delhi Government has turned a deaf ear to all these issues.”
The delegation comprised Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V.K. Malhotra, former State presidents Harsh Vardhan and Vijender Gupta, MLAs Jagdish Mukhi and Ramesh Bidhuri, national secretary Aarti Mehra and Delhi Mahila Morcha president Shikha Rai.
The BJP leaders also requested the President to seek an urgent report from the Lieutenant-Governor regarding conviction rates in rape cases in the past five years, setting up of sufficient number of fast track courts to deal with rape cases and special drives to recruit more women police officers and their effective deployment.
The delegation claimed that the President promised to talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in this regard.
Mr. Goel said he requested the President to dismiss the Government for failing to maintain public order under Article 239-AB and failing to comply with the provisions of Article 239-AA of the Constitution of India.
