New Delhi, June 20: Newly-appointed Delhi Congress president Chaudhary Prem Singh today accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of being "anti-poor" even as he hailed the performance of the city government led by Sheila Dikshit in presence of her perceived bete noires Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. Addressing his first press conference, Chaudhary, who replaced Dikshit's known detractor Subhash Chopra, was dismissive of reported groupism in the party unit but asserted that "indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost".

The third-time Congress unit chief alleged that the National Capital was facing "unprecedented" problems under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

"A sword of uncertainty is hanging over the heads of lakhs of people living in unauthorised colonies as the Central Government is on demolition spree," said Chaudhary, a dalit who has been appointed to the post just a few months ahead of the assembly elections with an eye on a huge chunk of voters of the community.

"Even 40-year-old houses have been razed in arbitrary demolition drives," he said alleging that a "massive" drive to demolish slum clusters was being undertaken to "deny voting rights" to their inhabitants.

In the absence of full statehood, land-owing agency Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in the Capital is under the control of Central Government.
Bureau Report