BJP creating state of panic on sealing issue: Maken

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) Charging the BJP of creating a state of panic and confusion on the issue of sealing, senior Congress leader and Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken today said only 0.5 per cent of shops in Delhi came under the purview of the sealing drive which began yesterday.

''The number of units affected by the present sealing drive is negligible. This is evident from the fact that 61 shops were sealed yesterday and just one shop has been sealed since this morning.

These figures belie the claims of the BJP that 50000 to one lakh shops are affected by the present sealing drive,'' Mr Maken said at a joint press conference with president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Rambabu Sharma.

Describing as 'untrue' reports of 50000 to one lakh shops falling under the purview of sealing, Mr Maken said,''only shops in notified areas operating from the first and second floor fall under the purview of th sealing drive, the number of which is negligible. an exaggerated figure is being floated by the BJP with a political motive.'' On BJP's call for implementation of an amnesty scheme for traders, he said,''the BJP, during its own rule at the Centre, rejected the amnesty scheme several times. On what grounds is it making the demand now?'' Reiterating that a majority of shops in Delhi had been given relief from sealing under the 2021 Master Plan for Delhi, Mr Maken said,''under the Delhi Master Plan, not only shops operating on the ground floor in mixed use areas have been exempted from sealing regardless of the area, those operating on basements have also been allowed.'' Further, shops falling in special areas like Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk have been kept out of the purview of the sealing in the Master Plan, he said.

UNI