FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION

NEW DELHI, Feb. 7—The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), under the leadership of its president Shri Jai Prakash Agarwal, MP today felicitated Union Urban Development Minister Shri Jaipal Reddy for his Ministry's direction to stop the sealing and demolition drive, which has given relief to lakhs of people. A large number of Congress workers and leaders were present at the function in which slogans like “Sonia Gandhi Zindabad” rent the air.

Besides Shri Jaiprakash Agarwal, prominent others present were Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit, AICC secretary and in-charge of Delhi affairs Shri Kodikunnil Suresh, former AICC secretary Maj. Dalbir Singh, Members of Parliament from Delhi Shri Jagdish Tytler, Shri Sajjan Kumar, Smt. Krishna Tirath, Delhi Minister Shri Raj Kumar Chauhan, ex-MP Ch. Tarif Singh, MLAs Shri Ramakant Goswami, Naseeb Singh, Rajesh Jain, Dr. Bijender Singh, Mukesh Sharma, Balzor Singh, Kiran Walia, Dr. Narender Nath, Amrish Gautam, Anil Bhardwaj, Vijay Singh Lochav, DPCC office-bearers Shri Om Prakash Bidhuri, Dhirender Tyagi, Darshna Ramkumar, Suresh Mallik, Dr Naresh Kumar, Rajender Sharma and former Leader of the House in the MCD Jitender Kumar Jitu, DPYC president Amit Malik, DPMC president Smt. Abha Chaudhary, NSUI president Harsh Chaudhary, Jaiveer Singh Nagar, S K Puri and other DPCC office-bearers, District and Block Congress Committees presidents.

Amidst slogans praising the order of the Urban Development Ministry, Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit presented bouquet to Shri Jaipal Reddy while DPCC president Shri Jai Prakash Agarwal honoured the Minister by wrapping a shawl on him on behalf of the people of Delhi as a gesture of gratitude for the Urban Development Ministry's direction to stop the sealing and demolition drive. MPs Shri Jagdish Tytler, Shri Sajjan Kumar and Smt. Krishna Tirath welcomed Shri Reddy with garlands.

Shri Jai Prakash Agarwal expressed his gratitude to Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi as it was on her direction and guidance that the Union Urban Development Ministry took the decision to give the direction of stopping the sealing and demolition drive, which has been creating mental and material agony to the people for the last two years. He also thanked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for this historic decision as the Congress Government had once again lived up to the principle of the Congress Party to keep the interest of the people above everything else.

Shri Agarwal, welcoming Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit, thanked her for always coming to the aid and help of the people of Delhi whenever confronted with difficult situations. He informed Shri Reddy that when Delhi Special Law 2007 bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha, no Opposition MP was present in the House, which clearly showed that the BJP was not interested in protecting the interest of the people of Delhi , and was only interested in gaining political capital out of the issue.

Shri Agarwal said he had said then that the power to make law was that of Parliament, but BJP leader Shri Jaswant Singh had countered him, which clearly showed that the BJP was not interested in solving the problems facing the people of Delhi . Shri Agarwal said if he were the Mayor of Delhi, he would have allowed the people to de-seal the premises with a one-line order. He said the BJP-ruled MCD was not taking any interest in taking steps for the de-sealing process to provide relief to the people, by needlessly dragging the matter. He said the people of Delhi will give a befitting reply to the BJP for not showing any concern to protect their interest. Shri Agarwal chanted the slogan “Sonia Gandhi Zindabad” as it was because of the interest and guidance of the Congress president that the Urban Development Ministry directed the stoppage of the sealing and demolition drive forthwith.

Smt. Sheila Dikshit thanked Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Urban Development Minister Dr Jaipal Reddy for the direction to stop the sealing and demolition drive. She exhorted the Congress workers to fan out to every lane and bylane of Delhi and spread the good word about the Union Ministry's order and expose the double standard of the BJP, which had only betrayed the cause of the people of Delhi .

Smt Dikshit said the BJP was earlier putting all the blame for the sealing and demolition drive on the Union Government and also blamed the Congress Party for not protecting the interest of Delhiites. She said now that the Union Ministry had ordered to stop the sealing and demolition drive, the BJP was taking no initiative to deny relief to the people of Delhi . Smt. Dikshit expressed the desire to Shri Reddy that the 1406 unauthorised colonies in Delhi, the list of which has been sent to his Ministry, should also be regularised quickly so that around 40 lakh people would benefit from the Congress Party's initiative.

Shri Jaipal Reddy, in his concluding address, said he was extremely happy to be felicitated by the DPCC and he could imagine the level of happiness of the people of Delhi if the enthusiasm shown by the DPCC leadership and the large number of Congress leaders and workers was any indication. He said Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi deserved all the praise and accolades of his Ministry's decision as it was under her direction and guidance that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Minister of State for Urban Development Shri Ajay Maken helped facilitate his Ministry to take the decision to order the stoppage of the sealing and demolition drive.

Shri Reddy said though the views of the apex court had been given due weightage and respect, it was the responsibility of the Congress Government, within the framework of the Constitution, under the Delhi Special Law 2007, to give relief to the people of Delhi from the sealing and demolition drive by giving the necessary direction to the DDA, MCD, NDMC to stop the process till 31 December, 2008 and de-seal the sealed ones.

Shri Reddy assured that the Congress Party will not, at any cost, do anything to destroy the character of Delhi , built over many centuries. He gave the assurance to the people of Delhi through Smt. Sheila Dikshit that the list of the 1406 unauthorised colonies, which has been sent to his Ministry, will be regularised soon to give relief to around 40 lakh people. He said under the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, it was the responsibility of the Congress Party to protect the rights and interest of the common people, and the party would strive to maintain that image.

Shri Reddy, countering the falsehood being spread by the BJP, said his Ministry's order was within the ambit of the law, which will stand the scrutiny of the authority as the order was passed to stop the sealing and demolition drive till 31 December, 2008 after taking into consideration all the aspects. He said in the meanwhile, his Ministry would work towards finding a lasting solution to the matter, which will benefit around 60 lakh people, including those living in villages, Lal Dora areas and unauthorised colonies. The programmes concluded with slogans hailing the Congress party and Smt Sonia Gandhi.

PRAMOD KUMAR
Office Secretary

The Chief Reporter

New Delhi.