Sheila, Kejriwal spar over Delhi's statehood
New Delhi, June 10 : Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday said lack of statehood cannot be an excuse for not working, prompting AAP leader and her successor Arvind Kejriwal to dare her to run the capital under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised the pitch for full statehood for Delhi, Dikshit told the media here that Delhi will continue to be partly governed by the Centre unless the Constitution was changed.
"Now, with elections approaching, they (AAP) are talking about the lack of rights. This is just an excuse. They knew about the statehood issues, they knew about the Constitution," she said.
"The only way to make Delhi a full state is to change the Constitution. If they are able to do that, it's fine. Otherwise, Delhi is and will remain a Union territory, partly governed by the Centre."
Kejriwal, who defeated Dikshit in 2013 and came to power again in 2015, said people were unhappy with the state of affairs with Dikshit on the issues of water and electricity bills as well as government schools and hospitals.
"We fixed all these things. During your tenure, you had your own party in power in Centre. You also had your own LG. I challenge you to run Delhi for a year under the Modi-rule," Kejriwal tweeted.
"And please talk to your own Puducherry Chief Minister. Kindly give this gyan to him also," he added.
Puducherry's Congress Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy has been having a running battle with his Lt Governor Kiran Bedi over jurisdictional issues.
Later, talking to IANS, Dikshit said her government worked not only with the Congress but also with the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre and had the "rapport with both".
"We worked and had a rapport with both the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-government and with the Manmohan Singh government," she said.
The AAP had been accusing the Congress and BJP of taking a U-turn on statehood demand. Dikshit said: "We too demanded statehood, but we were not successful."
She dismissed any possibility of an alliance with the AAP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Delhi Congress President Ajay Maken had on Friday said the AAP government was demanding full Statehood for Delhi to hide its own failures.
The AAP on Sunday had a meeting with its ward level office bearers to chalk out a strategy to take the message of full statehood to every house in Delhi.
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Have no personal involvement in Cong’s action against some minority leaders: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said he has no personal involvement in action taken against certain Congress leaders from the minority community following allegations of an internal conspiracy during the recently held Davanagere South bypolls.
He clarified that the decisions were taken by the party high command based on available reports.
Asserting that party discipline is of utmost importance, Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, sought to downplay concerns that action against minority leaders may send the message that “Muslims are being targeted.”
“I don’t have any personal involvement in this. Whatever decisions are taken are made by the party leadership. The party has its own reports. Decisions regarding MLAs or MLCs cannot be taken at the state level without instructions from Delhi,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, he added, “People may blame me; I am not concerned. Everyone must function in accordance with party discipline.”
Responding to concerns within sections of the party that recent actions may convey the impression that minority leaders are being targeted, he said the Congress exists for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, backward classes, farmers, and all sections of society.
The Congress has suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from primary membership and relieved another MLC, Naseer Ahmed, from the post of Chief Minister’s political secretary.
The action followed allegations by a group of Muslim leaders that certain party members conspired to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action, speculation has emerged that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary measures during the next cabinet reshuffle.
The three leaders had reportedly sought a Muslim candidate for the Davanagere South bypoll ticket, which the party instead allotted to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun.
They were also said to have not actively participated in the campaign.
Shivakumar also rejected claims of factionalism within the ruling party amid speculation that leaders close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were being targeted.
Naseer Ahmed and Zameer Ahmed Khan are considered close to the CM.
Rejecting allegations of factionalism within the party, Shivakumar said, “We speak to each other every day. It is the media that creates divisions. Where is my faction? Has anyone put up a board saying they belong to the Siddaramaiah faction? Have I put up any such board?”
“All 139 legislators are my people, and they are all Siddaramaiah’s people as well. Everyone belongs to the Congress,” he added, saying there are no factions within the party and that such claims are media-driven.
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satish Jarkiholi met Shivakumar on Friday, a day after expressing concerns that disciplinary action against minority leaders may send the wrong message.
Shivakumar said he discussed with Jarkiholi the need to decongest Bengaluru traffic by diverting vehicles entering the city from state and national highways, along with party-related issues.
“We also discussed political matters in the interest of the party and the need to work together,” he said.
Later, speaking to reporters, Jarkiholi said he discussed with Shivakumar the issue of withdrawing Jabbar’s suspension. He said he will also visit New Delhi next week to meet the high command and discuss state developments.
“Jabbar’s suspension was discussed (with Shivakumar). It should be withdrawn. Let’s issue him a notice and allow him to reply. Then let’s send the report to the high command and seek their approval. High command approval is necessary because the instructions came from there. It may take some time,” he said.
Stating that he met the KPCC chief for “damage control,” the minister said, “We have tried to convince him. Sometimes certain decisions happen that need rectification.”
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