Ahead of Assembly polls, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday adopted an aggressive stance on the last day of the fourth Delhi legislative Assembly asserting that Delhi is a much more favourable place compared to BJP-ruled States.
Turning the heat on the Opposition, Dikshit stated that Madhya Pradesh is the rape capital of the country, not Delhi. She also took a sideswipe at Gujarat’s development and said that people from other parts of the country come to Delhi for higher education or health facilities, they do not go to Gujarat.
In the course of a statement in the Assembly on the performance of her Government in the last five years, Dikshit said her administration lost no time in setting up a helpline for women in distress following ‘one rape case’ in the city. In the context, the Chief Minister also made a reference to Madhya Pradesh, which is ruled by the BJP, saying the State has earned the moniker of ‘rape capital’ of the country.
“One rape case had taken place in Delhi and it is now acknowledged that Madhya Pradesh is the rape capital of the country. We had one rape case and a helpline number 181 was started within a week so that women feeling unsafe could contact us and seek police help,” said Dikshit.
The Chief Minister stated that the helpline number 181 has received more than 2 lakh calls. “The Opposition used to term Delhi as the rape capital at that time, why are they silent on such incidents frequently taking place in Madhya PradeshIJ Why are they afraid of calling Madhya Pradesh a rape StateIJ” she asked. Taking a dig at Gujarat, Dikshit stated that people come to Delhi for improved education and better healthcare.
The BJP MlAs were not present in the House when Dikshit made the jibe as they were suspended for creating a ruckus while protesting against Speaker Yoganand Shastri’s decision to allow Dikshit to make a suo motu statement on the last day of the fourth Assembly.
Criticising the BJP, the Chief Minister said they (BJP MlAs) are not in the habit of listening to the Chief Minister’s statement. “They have always been running away from the House since they are not in the habit of digesting the truth. We have been voted to power three consecutive times. Is it not enough to testify the kind of public support being enjoyed by our party and the GovernmentIJ” Dikshit stated.
Dikshit further stated that the results of the next Assembly elections are not going to be any different. “We would remain on the treasury benches whereas the BJP would occupy the Opposition benches. The Opposition has always been wasting precious time of the House whereas we cleared 143 bills. The Government has succeeded in bringing outstanding improvement to the power sector. It is now time to make improvements to the water distribution system. The infrastructure developed during Commonwealth Games has enhanced the look and image of the city,” she added.
The Chief Minister stated that Delhi’s per capita income is more than Rs 2 lakh, the highest in the country. Delhi spends 65 per cent of its budget on the social sector. The expansion of Delhi Metro in Phase III will connect every nook and cranny of the city.
later, leader of Opposition Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra termed Dikshit’s remarks as irresponsible saying the CM was hiding the truth. He accused the Chief Minister of absolving herself of all responsibility towards safety of women. “Her comments are most objectionable. How can she say only one rape had taken place in Delhi when many such cases have been reported every dayIJ” Malhotra asked.