Making a point: Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani addressing the unauthorised colony Mahasangh Rally at Ramlila ground in New Delhi on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Vijay Goel launched an offensive against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on the issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies at a rally organised at the Ramlila Grounds here on Sunday.

Senior BJP leaders, including L. K. Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh and party leaders V. K. Malhotra, Gopinath Munde and Ravi Shanker Prasad were among those present at the rally. The leaders vowed that the BJP would regularise unauthorised colonies and slums in the Capital if elected to power in the coming assembly elections.

Addressing the packed Ramlila Grounds, Mr. Advani lauded Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi’s efforts to regularise slums in his State. “Gujarat is the most progressive State in the country today under Chief Minister Narander Modi’s rule. His effort of replacing slums with houses is worth emulation,” he added.

Announcing measures to provide relief to flood victims in Bihar, Mr. Advani said: “We have requested the BJP and National Democratic Alliance ruled States to assist in relief and rescue operations on in Bihar. Coastal states like Orissa and Karnataka have especially been requested to provide boats to help rescue flood victims. I also plan to visit Bihar in a few days for a survey of the damage.”

Taking the Delhi Government head-on on the issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies, Mr. Goel said: “Through this rally we want to expose the Delhi Government’s false promise of regularising unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters in Delhi. The Chief Minister has been deceiving people by issuing misleading advertisements announcing the regularisation work undertaken by her Government whereas in actual fact the State Government has not regularised any unauthorised colonies.”

Mr. Goel also criticised the Congress Government in Delhi on a number of other issues including sealing, farmers compensation, water and electricity problems and the Bus Rapid Transit corridor project started by the State Government.

BJP leader Najvot Singh Sindhu who was also present at the rally regaled the gathering with his witty couplets and managed to enthuse the huge crowd.

Apart from the issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi, calling off of the agitation over land transfer in Jammu was also broached by the top leaders at the rally.

Describing the Jammu agitation as the “biggest agitation in the country”, BJP president Rajnath Singh said: “After today’s victory the State Government had to bend and will now have to provide all facilities to the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims.”

Courtesy - The Hindu