Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s assertion of there being no corruption in her government drew an instant response from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. The party’s Delhi unit president Vijay Goel stated that the indictment of her regime by the Lokayukta as also by the Shunglu Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Comptroller and Auditor General was proof enough of its complicity.
“Let the BJP come to power and we will show to the people from the very documents that are on record with various agencies as to how much corruption was there in this regime,’’ Mr. Goel said, adding that the Lokayukta had himself indicted Ms. Dikshit in the matter of using Rs. 22 crore of public money on her own promotion and directed her to deposit Rs. 11 crore in fine.
“This is judicial indictment,” he said, adding that the Shunglu Committee, PAC and CAG reports also show corruption in her government. “The transport scam is also there; the cover up by the government does not mean it did not take place.”
Further, Mr. Goel said more skeletons would roll out of the cupboards once Ms. Dikshit would demit office. “The BJP will find the proof of her corruption from the same documents on coming to power,’’ he said, while mentioning how the President of India and the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi had, barring one case, not acted on the recommendations of the Lokayukta. He added that after coming to power, the BJP will bring in the Lokpal Bill to give more teeth to the ombudsman.
On the issue of development, Mr. Goel said: “One can see slums, jhuggi clusters and unauthorised colonies all around. You see people struggling with daily problems all around. And even in a place like Model Town, we find people defecating in the open in the morning. She promised to make Delhi another Paris, but it has become a slum instead. And 50 per cent of the population is living without basic amenities.’’
Taking up specific issues one by one, the BJP leader said citizens were promised reduction in power thefts and tariffs when power privation happened, but the tariffs continued to go up, while thefts have reduced. “Thousands of crores are still owed by discoms to the power suppliers.’’
The BJP, he said, will bring in six more discoms and introduce competition in the sector. “Mobile call charges dropped from Rs. 16 to 30 paise per minute because of competition. So, we will open up the power sector too.’’
“In Delhi, the election has always been and this time, too, a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP. There is no other significant party in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party can only cut a few votes here or there, but they will not have much of an impact.”
