CPI(M) slams LG's ID card order, demands its immediate withdrawal

New Delhi, Jan 5 (UNI) Terming the Delhi Lt Governor's order making carrying an identity card mandatory for the capital's residents a ''license for harassment of citizens'' and a ''step to evict the poor from the city,'' the state CPI(M) today demanded immediate withdrawal of the ''draconian'' provision.

''Lakhs of Delhi's residents do not have any identification papers. Thie is especially true of the city's poor and those working in the unorganised sector. Similarly, there are lakhs who have no ration or voter ID cards,'' a statement from the party's state unit said, claiming that Lt Governor Tejender Khanna's 'diktat' would be used to ''bolster the ongoing process of eviction of the poor'' from the national capital.

Contending that the people of Delhi, especially the poor, daily face harassment and extortion by the police, the CPI(M) said this order ''futher empowers them to continue on this path with impunity.'' It further slammed the Lt Gov's plea that this step would prevent ingress of terrorists as laughable, noting mere possession of identity proof would not prevent occurence of terrorist attacks.

Reiterating its strong opposition to the ''draconian order'' and demanding its immediate withdrawal, the party also appealed to the capital's residents to oppose the move and ensure its withdrawal.

The Lt Governor, in a press conference yesterday, had announced that from January 15, all those residing or working in Delhi would be subjected to random checking wherein they would required to produce to the police officers proof of their identity- be it their driving licence, their PAN card, their passport, their ration card or their office ID card.

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