Author: Pallavi Ghosh
Publication: IBNLive.com
Date: August 6, 2011
URL: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cwg-govt-protects-sheila-dixit-to-guard-pm/173594-37-64.html
Congress has strongly backed Sheila Dikshit,
making it clear that there is no need for her to resign, even as Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on Saturday set up a GoM headed by AK Antony to look into findings
of Shunglu Commission on the Commonwealth Games irregularities.
It's a tale of two chief ministers but the
climax is likely to turn out to be different - Congress sources say that it
was a mistake to ask Ahok Chavan to step down in the wake of the Adarash scam
and said the mistake will not be repeated.
So, it's clear that Sheila Dikshit will stay
as Delhi Chief Minister even after the Opposition pressed for resignation
over the CWG charges.
"Sheila Dikshit has not committed such
a big crime that she needs to be punished," said Congress General Secretary
Janardhan Dwivedi.
The party's backing gave Sheila Dikshit the
confidence to pass the buck.
"There were reasons behind hiking the
budget. We shall justify our point of view before the concerned agencies,"
said Dikshit.
The Government will watch how the CAG report
on Commonwealth Games will play out in the PAC headed by Murli Manohar Joshi.
But sources say that in shielding Sheila Dikshit, the Congress is actually
protecting the Prime Minister, as PMO too has been indicted in the report.
Any action against the Delhi Chief Minister would mean expectation of a similar
action against the PMO.
But the BJP is not one to give up. "Sheila
Dikshit has no right to continue on moral ground and should resign immediately,"
said BJP President Nitin Gadkari.
The smooth working in Parliament that we saw
over the price rice issue may not be repeated next week, when there will be
likely a discussion on corruption. The BJP is determined not to give up on
Sheila Dikshit, while the Congress has dug its heel in.
