Biduri quits Congress

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, DEC. 9.

In a dramatic development, senior party leader and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee(I) vice-president, Mr. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, today resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party accusing the Central leadership of going back on its word of removing the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dixit, within three months time.

At a Press conference here, Mr. Bidhuri, a known Congress dissident, accused the Chief Minister of being not only corrupt but also playing into the hands of the liquor and land mafia lobby. ``I along with the DPCC(I) chief, Mr. Subhash Chopra, former MPs, Mr. Sajjan Kumar, Mr. Jagdish Tytler, Mr. J.P. Aggarwal and MLA Mr, Deep Chand Bandhu, to name a few, had met several Central party leaders including Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, and party general secretary, Ms. Prabha Rau. ``We also met the Congress(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, and all of them assured us that Ms. Dixit would be removed within three months. But they have gone back on their word and nothing of this sort has taken place forcing me to take this step,'' he stated.

Mr. Bidhuri said several senior party leaders and MLAs, mostly dissidents were in touch with him and were feeling suffocated in the party which was shielding corrupt leaders. ``I warn the Central party leadership that if things do not improve and steps not taken to remove Ms. Dixit, the party would break-up in Delhi and the Sheila Dixit Government would come tumbling down paving the way for a coalition Government in the next two months. The possibility of taking BJP support to form such a government was also not ruled out,'' he added.

Mr. Bidhuri charged the Chief Minister with failure to fulfill the poll promises made by the party before the Assembly polls. The Sheila Dixit Government has failed on all fronts and even senior Congress leaders including Mr. Jagdish Tytler and Mr. Sajjan Kumar had in April this year called her the most corrupt persons. ``I repeat those charges again. The people from all sections of society are getting disillusioned with the Congress party and I also am feeling suffocated in the present set-up. Therefore, I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the party and will announce my next course of action next week,'' he stated.

The dissident leader, who was the main strength behind the movement against the Chief Minister, said Ms.Dixit had committed blunder after blunder on all fronts; be it the case of industries or unauthorised colonies. The court should issue contempt against Ms. Dixit who is responsible for all the chaos. He was also critical of her for rejecting the recommendations of the Malhotra Committee report which could have given relief to lakhs of people.

Mr. Bidhuri also released a list of charges against the Chief Minister and said he would come out with more in the coming days.

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