The Congress on Saturday dismissed the BJP's demand for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit following the CAG report on the Commonwealth Games and said it could not be likened to the Yeddyurappa case.
“We have not yet seen the entire report. But of whatever we have seen, there is no such allegation that would attract major action,” general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said here, adding it could not be compared to the Yeddyurappa case.
Mr. Dwivedi was responding to questions from journalists after BJP president Nitin Gadkari said Ms. Dikshit should step down. Mr. Gadkari said that after the Karnataka Lokayukta submitted its report on illegal mining, the Congress demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Y.S. Yeddyurappa, pointing out that the BJP itself had asked him to put in his papers.
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Anticipating that CAG reports would figure prominently when Parliament resumes its sitting on Monday, top Congress leadership met here to prepare for a fresh Opposition offensive.
The Opposition has already said it would raise the issue of corruption, which is expected to come up for discussion next week. Two days of the monsoon session were disrupted as the Opposition demanded a debate on corruption and price rise. Normal proceedings began only after the government conceded a debate on price rise that concluded last week.
The meeting of the top Congress leadership is the first such exercise after party president Sonia Gandhi set up a four-member panel to look after party affairs in her absence following surgery.
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GoM set up
In another development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set up a Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony to examine the findings of the V.K. Shunglu Committee, which went into alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games.
Guidelines for future
The GoM has been asked to consider the response of the Union Ministries, the Delhi government and its various agencies to the recommendations in the six reports of the Shunglu Committee, which had been appointed by Dr. Singh.
Besides recommending the course of action on each of the findings, the GoM has been asked to suggest policies and guidelines for conduct of such events in the future.
The GoM recommendations would include disciplinary, civil and criminal action against the persons, agencies and contractors named in these reports.