New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday broke her silence on a fresh row over her reported praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to Zee Media, the former Delhi chief minister clarified why she called PM Modi confident and with a vision.
“All I said was I found him (PM Modi) confident and with a vision. I said so because whoever wins a major election does appear confident,” Dikshit said.
Elaborating more on her comment on PM Modi, Dikshit said, “PM Modi has been new announcements almost everyday. All this gives an impression that he has a vision, however, it is yet to be seen in what time all those announcements will be implemented.”
Citing BJP government's claim on exposing Congress politicians who have stashed huge money in foreign banks, Dikshit said, “Despite tall claims, the Modi govt has been able to reveal just three names and that too of persons of non-political background.”
During her conversation wit Zee Media, the Congress leader ruled herself out of the Delhi politics saying, "I am not interested in Delhi politics anymore."
Sheila had ruled the national capital for 15 years before losing the elections to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi constituency.
On the issue of fresh elections, Sheila said, "If the election comes, the Congress will fight the elections and fight it well, I am sure."
The Congress had won only eight seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly in the 2013 December elections. President Pranab Mukherjee has also approved Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung's plan to invite the single largest party, the BJP, to form the government in the national capital.
Sheila added that the BJP could not stake claim to form the government as it did not had the required numbers. "I also believe that in a democratic system where there are MLAs representing their constituencies, we need an elected government. But they took long because obviously they couldn't gather up the required numbers."
The BJP has 29 MLAs and AAP has 27. A party needs at least 36 MLAs to be able to form the government in Delhi.
