The BJP released its vision document for Delhi on Tuesday, three days before the campaigning for the February 7 assembly elections, which ends on Thursday.
The BJP released its vision document for Delhi on Tuesday, three days before the campaigning for the February 7 assembly elections, which ends on Thursday.
The statehood for Delhi finds no mention in the 270 points poll manifesto. Instead in the very opening pages of the document, both state president Satish Upadhyay and MP Dr Harshvardhan blamed the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for taking Delhi to a re-poll.
The statehood for Delhi, had been a part of the BJP manifesto since 1993, but it was missing this time. Even before the 2013 assembly election, the then chief minister candidate Dr Harshvardhan had promised that his government will move towards statehood.
BJP veterans including VK Malhotra have been demanding statehood for Delhi since 1973. Malhotra was also a member of the committee drafting the vision document this time.
Complete statehood for Delhi has been a part of poll manifesto for all political parties. But with Delhi also being the capital of the country, the police and the land continues to be under direct control of the center. With BJP in power at the center, the party has shelved the issue for the time being. Both AAP and Congress meanwhile have promised statehood in their manifestos. The BJP leaders refrained from commenting on the subject of statehood.
BJP's vision document does not makes any promises of subsidising water and power. But has promised to bring the power companies under the ambit of RTI. In the BJP's vision for Delhi, Delhi is be made a smart city, permanent houses for slum dwellers, women safety and better health facilities.
Besides its vision document, the party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi made a presentation giving a blue print of various deliverables and suggest ways of achieving it.
Like prime minister's Maan Ke Baat, Bedi also proposes a monthly radio address Dil Ke Baat. "Besides chief minister, the cabinet ministers and MLAs will also be able to address the citizens of the state," said Bedi.
Bedi's power points presentation covered aspects including skill developments, cow shelters and protection of the people of north east community residing in Delhi.
However the party was left embarrassed over calling North East residents in Delhi as immigrants. Under the title North East Immigrants to be protected the document reads, "Special cells in all police stations and special 24-hour helpline numbers to be set up for the protection of the North Eastern migrants. To safeguard the students of N-E origin, special guardianship will be arranged with local families for them."
While the BJP calls the goof up an oversight, the Congress was quick enough to react. Congress leader Ajay Maken at a press conference said, "Is BJP trying to say the people from the North East are not Indian citizens?" The Congress has demanded that the BJP remove this line from its vision document.
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