New Delhi: Vociferous sloganeering from
BJP members on the issue of serving beef during the
Commonwealth Games on Friday marred the proceedings of Delhi
assembly, forcing repeated adjournments.
BJP MLAs created uproarious scene and even trooped to
the well of the House demanding an assurance from Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit that the Delhi Agricultural Cattle
Preservation Act, 1994 prohibiting storage and sale of beef in
the city would be implemented by her government.
The issue was raised during 'discussion under special
mention' by Leader of Opposition V K Malhotra who said Chief
Secretary Rakesh Mehta had made a statement to the media that
beef will be imported during the event to serve atheletes and
officials.
"It was passed unanimously in the House. It is
obligatory on the part of the city government to implement
it," he said.
The House plunged into total chaos when Dikshit
commented that Mehta only said that it was an issue between
Games Organising Committee, the caterers and the MCD
and that the "communal-minded" BJP members were raising it
only to politicise it.
"We have nothing to do with it. You are trying to make
political capital out of it. Why don't you go to MCD? You are
raising it because you are communal-minded," she said.
Later speaking outside the House, Dikshit said the BJP
raised the issue "with an aim to disturb communal harmony and
peace in the capital city".
Dikshit further stated that it is for the Organising
Committee to decide the menu to be served during the event.
"They (the BJP MLAs) are out to create unruly scenes
even outside the House and politicise all sensitive issues
with an intention to earn political mileage," she said.
Angry over Dikshit's remarks in the Assembly, Malhotra
said it was a "very serious" issue and asked how could the
Chief Minister "shy away from enforcement of the legislation
passed unanimously by the Assembly".
Amid pandemonium, house was adjourned for 15 minutes
and later for another one hour.
When it met met again, Dikshit tabled a written
statement of the Chief Secretary in which he said that "I had
very categorically told them (the media) that catering service
contracts are being arranged by the Organizing Committee in
the Games Village and the issue is between the OC, the
contractor who is selected for running the kitchen in the
Games Village and the MCD which is supposed to give permission
under the municipal laws."
The ruckus continued with several Congress MLAs also
vociferously slamming the BJP for not implenting provision of
the legislation when they were in power.
The BJP members cautioned the government not to take
the issue lightly and said they would launch massive protest
during the sporting event if beef is served to the
participants of the Games.
"If beef is served, we will not allow the Games to
take place. Lakhs of people will come to the streets
protesting against such move," senior BJP MLA Jagdish Mukhi
said.
As pandemonium continued, Speaker Yoganand Shastri
adjourned the House for the day.
To the allegations of the Congress MLAs that
BJP government did not implement the provisions of the Delhi
Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 1994, Malhotra said a
board was formed by the then BJP government to supervise
proper implementation of the Act.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 19, 2010, 22:06