L-G does a U-turn on N India remark

Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna on Thursday said that people in north-west India “take pride in breaking every possible rule” and within hours blamed TV channels for distorting the statement.

The U-turn comes within a month of a similar one in early January when Khanna stipulated that Delhiites must carry photo ID cards (from January 15 onwards) or face police probe. Soon after, he had blamed the media for misinterpreting his intentions.

“If we see the behaviour pattern in south India, we find that people comply with (rules) themselves; but in north-west India, people take pride in breaking every possible rule,” Khanna said here at a function organised by Delhi Police.

Political parties termed this as “irresponsible” — coming at a time when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray’s campaign against north Indians in Mumbai has already created a lot of bad blood.

On Thursday evening, Khanna’s office said: “L-G had referred to the comparatively lower level of autonomous self compliance of traffic regulations such as maintaining lane discipline, giving right of way and respecting traffic lights in Delhi as compared to that observed in some metropolitan cities in the South”.