Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit on Monday hit out at both the BJP government at the Centre and the AAP government in Delhi for the violence against scrap dealers in Mayapuri, and pledged her party’s support and cooperation to the traders of the area.
Strongly criticising the AAP government in Delhi for the high-handed action against the scrap traders of Mayapuri, Ms. Dikshit said, “The AAP government tried to uproot the traders with the help of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, and was then shedding crocodile tears at the plight of the traders but the people of Delhi have clearly understood the mischievous game plan of the AAP government,” Ms. Dikshit said.
Acting on the advise of the Delhi Police, Ms. Dikshit did not visit Mayapuri to interact with the traders, but sent a delegation of senior congress leaders to asses the situation and tell traders of the area that the Congress party would stand by them in their hour of need, and extend them the necessary help, including legal aid, she said.
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“When such a situation arose in 2006, the Congress government in Delhi took prompt steps and the Congress-led UPA government issued an immediate Ordinance to provide quick relief to the people of Delhi, but the Modi government at the Centre has turned a blind eye to the plight of the small traders and the small industrial units as the sealing and demolition drive has brought upon misery on these people,” Ms. Dikshit said.
Hitting out at the AAP and BJP, she added that lakhs of labourers have been rendered jobless, and thousands of families are on the verge of starvation as both the Central and the Delhi governments have unleashed police terror on the peace-loving traders of Delhi.
“Before uprooting the traders, the Centre and the Delhi government should have taken steps for their relocation and resettlement so that the livelihood of thousands of people are not robbed without any forethoughts, and the traders should have been given lawful protection,” Ms. Dikshit said.
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The former Chief Minister also said that the Election Commission of India should take action against the responsible officials for such high-handed behaviour against the traders when the Lok Sabha election campaigns are taking place.