Monitoring Committees are crossing their limits: Vijay Goel

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Former Union Minister Vijay Goel today accused the monitoring committees appointed by the High Court and the Supreme Court of misusing their powers, alleging these were working on their whims.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Goel said the Monitoring Committees were harassing the people of the capital by passing unconstitutional orders. "These committees have neither any appeal before them,nor any argument nor any lawyer," he said.

Substantiating his charge, the BJP's National Secretary said that Supreme Court Monitoring Committee chairman K J Rao visited the Bengali Market area on January 22 on a complaint and ordered the sealing of the premises at 70, Babar Road, without verifying the facts. Soon after police came there, "used force and foul language" and sealed the premises.

When asked if they had any written order of the NDMC to seal the said premises, police said they had received oral orders.

NDMC, when contacted, said it had received oral orders from Mr Rao.

Mr Goel said that Mr Rao while admitting to having passed such orders, defended that he did not think the necessity to issue a written order in this regard. "In fact we convey our decision to the NDMC and MCD orally only," Mr Rao said, claimed Mr Goel.

The BJP leader said that Delhi Police Commissioner had issued an order that police force would not be available for carrying out sealing operation in view of their deployment for the Republic Day.

How then this operation was carried out, Mr Goel asked.

He called for dissolution of the Monitoring Committees and said by which law these had been empowered. Sealing is continuing and lakhs of people being rendered homeless and these committees are not answerable to any one? he asked.

Mr Goel said he would meet Residents Welfare Associations and urged them to protest against illegal sealing and demolitions being carried out at the behest of these committes.

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