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Violence continues as Dikshit meets PM

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, her cabinet colleagues and 40 other party legislators Tuesday met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to impress upon him the state government's inability to shift over 1.25 lakh industries from residential colonies.

The meeting came as police lobbed teargas shells at three places across the capital to disperse protesters who took to the streets for the third day, even as the death toll went up to three.

Briefing newsmen at the end of an half hour meeting with Vajpayee, she said that he had assured her that the capital would not be allowed to suffer and he would ensure that factories operating for more than 20 years and were not polluting are not disturbed.

Dikshit turned down the demand of former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana to resign, for her failure to protect the interests of Delhiites on the issue. "If Khurana wants, let him resign from Parliament," she shot back.

On whether she knew if her chief secretary had passed orders to close down units in residential areas in the capital, she said he did his work while she did hers.

Urban Development Minister Jagmohan, who was present at the discussions, said he would make a statement in Parliament on Wednesday.

Dikshit said that she told Vajpayee that if the crisis was not resolved the situation would become more chaotic.

At a press conference, Khurana accused Dikshit of creating an ugly situation that resulted in Delhiites being held to ransom by industrialists and industrial workers."

''She says that chief secretary P S Bhatnagar was responsible for ordering the closure of all units. If this is right and she did not approve of the action, she should take action against him. But if she signed the order to close all units in residential areas, she should resign as chief minister," Khurana insisted.

He said that he had planned to go on an indefinite hunger strike to protest against the order, but he postponed it as the order had been withdrawn.

Khurana and Dikshit agreed that the capital's master plan had to be amended and for that they would continue to exert pressure on Jagmohan. They also agreed that the definition of cottage industrial units had to be changed.

"If the definition is changed, 70 to 80 per cent industries will continue where they are. That will take care of the problem," Khurana said.

He denied that the agitation was indirectly aimed at securing the resignation of Jagmohan, who has been carrying out large-scale demolitions against unauthorised constructions.

Neither Dikshit nor Khurana had a word of sympathy for those who suffered at the hands of the agitationists. While Khurana took credit for the successful closure, he blamed the violence on the Delhi government.

Dikshit and her colleagues later met President K R Narayanan.

On the legal front, the Supreme Court pulled up the Delhi government for letting hoodlums hold the capital to ransom. "How could you let a thing like this happen," the court asked the counsel for the government.

K K Venugopal, senior advocate, assisted by Raju Gobardhan and Geeta Luthra, had moved the three-judge bench consisting of Justices B N Kirpal, Satish Hegde and Brijesh Kumar, on the effects of the order of the government that led to violence in the capital.

Venugopal said Article 21 of the Constitution gave citizens the fundamental right to earn their livelihood and live freely. These two fundamental rights had been violated due to the order of the court, as shifting over 1.25 lakh industries from residential colonies would mean displacing over 25 lakh people.

The counsel for the Delhi government gave details of the loss of property in violence all over Delhi.

The bench questioned the counsel about the need to move the court as the matter was listed for hearing on November 27.

The court also made it clear that it had no objection if the urban development ministry carried out changes in the Delhi's master plan and declare certain areas 'industrial'.

But the court refused to accept the plea that if the court orders were implemented, there would be a law and order problem in Delhi. "We have heard this argument in the Veerappan case too," the bench said.

The matter will come up for further hearing on November 27.

Meanwhile, Bhiku Ram Aggarwal, a businessman who came under the wheels of a postal van in Keshavpuram, succumbed to injuries at the Sanjay Gandhi hospital, according to Joint Commissioner of Police (northern range) Ajay Chadha.

A mob had set ablaze the van and three public transport vehicles following the accident, even as police arrested the driver of the killer vehicle.

Ajab Singh, a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh, who was seriously injured in police firing at Welcome, died Monday night.

Irfan, a worker in an apparel unit, who were seriously injured in police firing at Welcome, succumbed to injuries.

The condition of the others, injured in the firing, is out of danger.

Scores of persons, including 53 police personnel, were injured in the violence.

Protesters blocked traffic in Gandhi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Seelampur, Old Yamuna Bridge, Samaipur Badli, Bawana, Prahladpur, Dabri, Singhu Border, Mundka and other areas, resulting in traffic jams.

Stone-pelting was reported from Madhuban Chowk, Gandhi Nagar and some other places even as over 40 companies of security personnel including Rapid Action Force were deployed.

Conceding "softness" on Monday, the police warned rioters that they would take "very harsh steps" if they resorted to violence.

With inputs from agencies

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