Hitting back at BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Congress on Friday sought an ‘unconditional apology’ from him for his comments that Delhi had been in ICU for the last 15 years, saying the remarks were insulting to the people of the city. Reacting to Vardhan’s comments, senior Delhi Congress leader Mukesh Sharma said people of the city had put BJP in the ICU in the 1998 Assembly polls following its five-year long ‘misrule’.
“How can you say the city is in ICU when Delhi is considered one of the major cities of the worldIJ The city has witnessed significant transformation in the last 15 years. Vardhan’s comments are insulting to the people of Delhi and he must tender an apology for it,” four-time MlA, Sharma, said. Vardhan had accused the Congress Government of ‘piling up miseries’ on the people and putting Delhi in the ‘intensive care unit’ by its misrule.
“As Health Minister, how many hospitals did he set upIJ What was his contribution towards addressing major challenges facing the city,” asked Sharma. On Vardhan’s allegation of widespread corruption in Delhi Government and his promise of bringing in radical reforms, Sharma wondered as to why he was not doing anything to contain graft in the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations. “The Municipal Corporations ruled by BJP are known as the most corrupt bodies. What has he done to address corruption thereIJ” Sharma questioned.
The senior Congress leader also blamed Municipal bodies for deaths due to dengue, saying that the civic agencies had totally failed to contain breeding. He posed 15 questions for Vardhan over a range of issues, asking him what his contribution was in addressing various challenges facing the city when he was a Minister between 1993 and 1998.