BJP indulging in double speak on BRT, other issues: Maken

New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) Charging the BJP with indulging in double speak on the BRT corridor and statehood for Delhi, Congress MP and Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken said whether in its run upto the election or even when in power the BJP thrives on negativity which was what it was doing at its best even in Delhi.

Terming the BJP manifesto for the November 29 Assembly polls in Delhi as an essentially ''negative and unimaginative'' document that was bereft of any fresh ideas, proposals or vision, Mr Maken told reporters, ''It seems the BJP intends to take the people on a ride to the Moon on a bullock cart.'' Skirting issues of governance, the BJP had indulged in its characteristic double speak on issues ranging from BRT to statehood to the master plan and regularisation of unauthorised colonies and beyond.

Expressing surprise at the BJP's opposement to the BRT, Mr Maken said, ''Even as the BJP governments in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have been projecting BRT as their flagship achievement and constantly asking for more funds from the Centre for implementation of BRT projects, why the BJP in Delhi is opposing the BRT and has announced that it would cancel the project when it comes to power.'' He said under the JNNURM of the Urban development Ministry, Gujarat had sought to implement the BRT in Ahmedabad on a stretch of 88.5 km at a cost of Rs 981.35 crore of which the central assistance amounted to Rs 234.51 crore.

Further, the project was also being implemented in Rajkot and Surat for which again the central assistance of nearly Rs 290 crore was sought, the Congress MP added.

Pointing out that V K Malhotra, at the time of announcement of his candidature for chief ministership, had said the BJP would strive to bring the Gujarat model of governance to Delhi, Mr Maken said the supposed ''Gujarat models'' were amended as per BJP's political suitability.

On the BJP promise of getting statehood for Delhi, Mr Maken said, ''The BJP never did the needful when it was in power and made frenzied cries when the Congress came up with practical solutions.

He said way back in 1977 when the BJP was at the Centre with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani as members of the Union Cabinet, a bill on statehood was brought in Parliament as late as May 8, 1979 and even then this 47th Constitutional Amendment Bill first could not be discussed due to lack of quorum.

Eventually, when it was discussed and welcomed by all MPs including Mr Malhotra, instead of passing it, the bill was postponed under rule 109 to be taken up in the future, a stage it never reached.

''Even during 1998-2004 when the BJP was in power, heading the government at the Centre, it did nothing, even symbolically in this direction,'' Mr Maken said and cited this as indication of the BJP's insincerity and antipathy towards the whole issue of statehood.

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