New Delhi, Aug 04: Encouraged by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's "stamp of approval" on changes in Delhi's masterplan, the BJP today took the battle over the issue to the Congress camp by asserting that the city government was only trying to correct problems created by its party. Ridiculing Congress and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for criticising the guidelines issued by the Centre last week, city BJP president Madan Lal Khurana declared the matter would be a major issue during the assembly polls in the Capital due by the end of this year.
He accused Dikshit of indulging in "double-talk" while claiming that she had also recommended regularisation of unauthorised colonies that had come up till 1998 and favoured declaring 24 localities as industrial belt.

"She feels if she supports the BJP government's move, she will not be able to get credit," he told a press conference attended by Union Labour Minister and MP from Delhi Sahib Singh Verma.

"Congress has been responsible for creation of the unauthorised colonies. Why wasn't it stopped then? we are only legalising these constructions so that they could get basic civic amenities," Khurana said.

Insisting that there was no other way to attend to the pressing problem, the former chief minister said the constructions which had already come up could be destroyed "only by a dictator".

He also took a dig at town-planners who cast aspersions over the move, asking where were they when the constructions were coming up.
Bureau Report