Dikshit takes charge as Delhi Cong chief; Tytler presence at event sparks controversy
New Delhi, Jan 16: Three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday took charge as the president of the Delhi Congress at a ceremony which was marred by controversy over the presence of Jagdish Tytler, an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Rival parties were quick to attack the Congress over Tytler sitting in the front row at the event, alleging that the incident had exposed the "anti-Sikh" face of the party.
However, Dikshit backed Tytler saying he was a Congressman and slammed the BJP and the AAP for looking at things in a "narrow way".
"It's a very narrow way of looking at things. After all he is a Congressman. The Congress has not shunted him out and he has not gone away from the party. So, why make an issue out of a non-issue," she said.
Tytler, who remains sidelined in the party, was seated along with other party leaders including Dikshit on the stage where the function took place at the Delhi Congress office here.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the incident exposed the Congress's anti-Sikh face and demanded that the party leaders clear their stand on Tytler.
Three new working presidents -- Devender Yadav, Haroon Yusuf and Rajesh Lilothia also took charge along with Dikshit.
The enthused workers greeted the 80-year-old former Delhi chief minister at the Deendayal Upadhyay Marg with slogans such as "Sheila Dikshit ayi hai, badlav ki andhi layi hai" "(Sheila Dikshit has come, she has brought change).
Dikshit asserted that she was not in favour of an alliance with the AAP for the upcoming parliamentary polls.
"It (alliance) is not there right now. We have not thought about it specially after what they (AAP) said in Delhi Assembly about Rajiv ji. I have already said that I am not in favour of it at all," she told after the oath-taking ceremony.
The area around Delhi Congress office at Rajiv Bhawan wore a festive look as a large number of party workers and leaders anticipating the revival of the party under the leadership Dikshit thronged to attend the ceremony.
With Dikshit at the helm of affairs, the party is looking to revive its fortunes in the national capital after a series of poll debacles starting with losing power in 2013.
Dikshit said she will take the party to new heights in Delhi and sought the help of ground-level workers. She also said the Congress will make full efforts to win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
She was appointed to the post by party president Rahul Gandhi after Ajay Maken stepped down citing health problems, earlier this month.
Speaking at the event, Maken said people want the Congress back for development to take place and cited achievements such as Metro connectivity, CNG-based transport system, power reforms and a network of flyovers, in the party's rule under Dikshit.
"This huge gathering attending the charge-taking function of Sheila ji will rob the BJP and AAP of their sleep," he asserted.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said the entire country is looking up to Delhi Congress and Dikshit to remove those from power who practice the politics of division.
The AICC in-charge of Delhi P C Chacko said Dikshit turned Delhi into a modern city as a chief minister and assured that all the leaders and workers stood with her in reviving the party in the national capital.
Senior Congress leaders Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Sandeep Dikshit and almost all the top leaders of its Delhi unit attended the function.
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Purported sleazy videos case: Action on suspended DGP after dept inquiry, says Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said that the government will decide on further action against the now-suspended DGP K Ramachandra Rao based on recommendations following a departmental inquiry into a case concerning videos purportedly showing him behaving obscenely with women in his office.
The minister's comments followed reports that the special probe committee has ruled out Rao's claims that the clips were fake and AI-generated.
"After further departmental inquiry, whatever they recommend, the government will decide based on that. The department has to give a report to the government, and based on the recommendation made, we will take a decision," Parameshwara told reporters here in response to a question.
Since Rao claimed the circulating videos were fake AI creations, they were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), the minister said in response to a question.
"A team was formed in the department to find the truth. They have submitted a report to the department. The department will have to inform the government about the same, based on which further action will be taken," he added.
The state government had formed a team of four IPS officers, led by R Hitendra, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the case.
The government in January suspended Rao, the 1993-batch IPS officer serving as the DGP, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), after viral videos purportedly showing him acting in an obscene manner surfaced.
The videos purportedly show the 59-year-old hugging and kissing women while in office. He was wearing a police uniform in a few videos. Rao had, however, called the videos "fabricated" and vowed to take legal action.
There were even reports that the videos were shot in 2016-17 inside the office of the Inspector General of Police - Belagavi range.
