Historic Town Hall meet turns into slugfest

The meeting of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in the historic Town Hall on Thursday was disrupted as the BJP and Congress hurled corruption charges against each other. Giving way to a war of letters, North Corporation’s Leader of Opposition Mukesh Goel criticised mayor Ravinder Gupta of possessing illegal properties. The meeting was disrupted twice, after which it was adjourned. The NDMC meeting was held in Chandni Chowk’s Town Hall on Thursday after a gap of six years.

The meeting began amid shouting of slogans a protest by the Opposition councillors of the Congress and AAP who accused mayor Gupta of “corruption” and “collusion” with building mafia responsible for illegal constructions in the area.

During the meeting, the BJP councillors produced a letter written allegedly by a Congress leader and former Delhi minister Mangat Ram Singhal to the mayor, complaining against “unauthorised” construction in Ward No. 13 with “connivance” of the ward councillor. Soon, the BJP councillors claimed that Mr Goel had allegedly demanded a bribe of '20 lakh, as claimed by Mr Singhal, who had also sought legal action against Mr Goel.

However, Mr Goel denied any involvement in the scam, leading to corruption charges being levied against mayor Gupta.

The protests were held before the House assembled for the meeting at 2 pm, Opposition Congress councillors held a sit-in at the portico of the building, demanding payment of pending old age pensions, claiming that nearly 80,000 pensioners have not been paid their monthly pensions by the municipal corporation for over an year. Denying the allegations, Mr Goel said a proper inquiry should be initiated and then accusations be made.

“If I have asked for the bribe, it should be proved,” he said, adding that he would take the matter to the higher authorities in the Congress and would seek legal action against Mr Singhal. “Singhal is my rival for a long time and it is known to everybody,” Mr Goel said and in turn accused mayor Ravinder Gupta of having “connections” with the building mafia. Mr Goel demanded a CBI inquiry into the allegations against him as well as his allegations against the mayor.