BJP takes out procession demanding Sheila Dikshit's removal

NEW DELHI: Activists of BJP today marched through the streets here demanding the removal of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the wake of a court ordering registration of an FIR against her for allegedly misusing government funds for a 2008 pre-assembly poll campaign.

The party took out the procession from the Assembly secretariat to the Lt Governor's office demanding immediate sacking of Dikshit.

Senior party leaders, including Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel, Leader of the Opposition V K Malhotra, former Delhi unit presidents Harsh Vardhan and Vijender Gupta, later submitted a memorandum to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung in which they gave a detailed account of the case in which the court ordered filing of the FIR against Dikshit.

"There seems to be conspiracy of silence as even four days after the court order, neither the police got any court order nor have we been able to get the same. There are attempts to shield the chief minister," Goel said.

"The continuance of the Chief Minister under present circumstances is against the ethos of democracy. The people have lost faith in the Congress government completely. The Chief Minister's refusal to demit the office on her own is nothing but a fraud," he charged.

A city court had on Saturday ordered registration of an FIR against Dikshit on a complaint filed by Vijender Gupta in which he alleged she had misused government funds to the tune of Rs 22.56 crore in an advertisement campaign ahead of the 2008 Assembly polls.

The Delhi Lokayukta had in May this year indicted Dikshit for alleged misuse of public funds on the advertisement campaign and recommended recovery of Rs 11 crore either from her or from her party.

Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin had even given a recommendation for President Pranab Mukherjee to "caution" Dikshit for the alleged misuse of public funds for the print and outdoor media campaign which bore the punchline, 'Delhi is changing'.

"The Chief Minister's defiance of public opinion and deliberate demeaning of the directives of the Lokayukta and subsequently of the judiciary have led to a Constitutional crisis, which calls for the sacking of the Chief Minister," claimed Goel.

"An FIR has been lodged against the Chief Minister for misusing public money but the government continues to use state fund for political campaign. Like 2008-campaign, the Congress government is misusing the public money as an advertisement campaign has again been launched ahead of assembly polls in November," he alleged.

Malhotra alleged the city government has spent Rs 300 crore for the advertisement campaign launched a couple of months ago to publicise its achievement.