BJP responsible for situation on sealing,demolition in Delhi:Tytler

New Delhi, Mar 31 (UNI) Alleging that the BJP was responsible for the confusion and uncertaintly in Delhi last year due to sealing and demolition, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler today said in 2000, the then Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan had in a letter ordered demolition of unauthorised structures and residential properties misused for commercial purpose.

''A letter was written on August 28, 2000 on the orders of Mr Jagmohan to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government, the Vice Chairman of the DDA, the commissioner of MCD and chairperson of NDMC asking them to eliminate the menace of misuse of property with a firm hand and demolition of all unauthorised contruction in toto.

Moreover, the letter also said that the cost of demolition be recovered as arrears of land revenue,''Mr Tytler said at a joint press conference in the Capital along with the president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Rambabu Sharma.

''It is because of the aforesaid orders of the former Urban Development Minister that the Supreme Court issued orders for sealing and demolition, thus leading to mass scale sealing and demolitions in the city. I had raised the issue earlier in the Parliament and also placed the letter on the floor of the House, ''Mr Tytler said.

Mr Tytler said that it was the Master Plan 2021, brought by the Congress after painstaking efforts, had nullified the impact of the above letter and provided relief to people of Delhi from sealing and demolition.

''Having brought upon the spectre of sealing and demolition in Delhi through the aforementioned letter, on what basis is the BJP now claiming to stand behind the traders affected by the sealing drive,''Mr Tytler asked.

Stating that he was prepared to resign from his Lok Sabha membership if his claim was proved wrong, Mr Tytler alleged that earlier this month too, Mr Jagmohan, in an interview to a newspaper, claimed that the 2021 Master Plan would spell destruction of the city. He also said that it was a document "by the traders and for the traders".

''That the BJP has failed to condemn the latest statements by Mr Jagmohan shows the difference between its 'words and deeds',''Mr Tytler said.

Addressing the reporters, the DPCC chief said, ''the latest revelation shows that the charges being levelled by the BJP on the issue of sealing are baseless. Basically, the BJP is an issueless party.'' UNI