Cong leaders at loggerheads over RUB foundation laying

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) The internal differences betweentwo ruling Congress leaders in south Delhi came to the foretoday over the laying of foundation for a road underbridge,with one of them holding a parallel event to the official MCDfunction.

The foundation for the additional RUB to connect Jangpurawith Siddarth Nagar was laid by NDMC Vice-Chairperson TajdarBabbar and MCD Commissioner K S Mehra in the presence offormer Mayor and area Congress councillor Farhad Suri.

The RUB will be constructed jointly by Railways and theMunicipal Corporation of Delhi within one year at a cost of Rs30 crore, MCD officials said.

However, the function brought Suri and his party colleagueand Jangpura MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah at loggerheads, withthe latter taking objection to his not getting an invitationto the MCD function.

A pedestal installed for the foundation stone wasdemolished yesterday and Suri had accused Marwah of beingbehind it, a charge denied by the MLA. The MCD also complainedto police that the pedestal has been destroyed but blamed iton "anti-social elements", without naming anyone.

Soon after the MCD function, Marwah arrived at the spotwith hundreds of supporters. Policemen, present in largenumbers following request by MCD, promptly barricaded thestone. The marchers beat drums, raised slogans in supportof Marwah and burst crackers for 40 minutes before dispersing.

Marwah told reporters that efforts for getting approvalfor the project have been made by a lot of leaders over theyears including himself and it is a railway land, not MCD''s.

"But they have not invited either me or the area MP. It is aBJP conspiracy and the Congress councillor has joined handswith them," he said.

At the MCD function, supporters of Suri said he was theone who succeeded in getting the approval of the RUB.

"It is a corporation project and a corporation function.

It is MCD''s prerogative whom to invite," Suri said.

He said the RUB will have facility of footpaths andlights. He also sought the help of Commissioner in acquiringthe railways land lying vacant for developing a car parking.

Mehra directed officials to complete work on the projectin record time. Asked by reporters whether MCD has filed anFIR in connection with the demolition of the pedestal, he justsaid, "Pose this query to the area DCP." PTI SDG