BJP corners Delhi govt on spate of deaths in Tihar

The BJP on Friday slammed the Delhi government on the recent ‘suicides’ in Tihar jail. Since the prison’s administration falls under the Delhi government, the Opposition demanded that the chief minister be held responsible for it as she holds the home portfolio.

The BJP on Friday slammed the Delhi government on the recent ‘suicides’ in Tihar jail. Since the prison’s administration falls under the Delhi government, the Opposition demanded that the chief minister be held responsible for it as she holds the home portfolio.

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Raising the issue in the assembly, Leader of Opposition VK Malhotra asked chief minister Sheila Dikshit to take steps to ensure proper monitoring of the jail inmates.

December 16 gang rape accused Ram Singh was found hanging in his cell on Monday while a 30-year-old woman inmate named Reshma had allegedly committed suicide in the jail on Thursday.

“The fact that so many deaths have taken place reiterates the fact that jail authorities have not been doing their work properly. The chief minister has not taken any measures to increase the safety and security of the jail even after the two deaths,” said Malhotra.

“The chief minister can’t get away this time by saying that the city’s law and order is not with her. Adequate number of CCTVs have also not been installed inside the jail” added Malhotra.

Citing Reshma’s ‘suicide’, Sahab Singh, BJP MLA from Yamuna Vihar, said neither were women safe on roads, nor inside jails.

Though many MLAs raised the issue, the chief minister did not give any clarification.

Chaos in the house
Chaos ruled in the House when Dikshit refrained a BJP MLA from discussing the selection criteria for one of her flagship projects, the Annshree. The BJP also accused Speaker Yoganand Shastri of favouring the Congress MLAs, which led to several adjournments.