Sealing issue: BJP to gherao ministry

BJP stepped up its pressure on the Centre to call a special session of Parliament over the sealing crisis.

The main opposition BJP on Sunday stepped up its pressure on the Centre to call a special session of Parliament over the sealing crisis, saying its activists would gherao the Nirman Bhawan housing the Union Urban Development ministry if it was not convened before the resumption of the court-ordered drives from November 1.

Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra also warned that his party would move a privilege motion against Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy if he did not keep the promise made in this regard in the last session of Parliament.

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"Our party has already planned demonstration outside the Delhi Assembly when it assembles for a session. The BJP activists and traders will be forced to gherao the Nirman Bhawan if the government do not call an immediate session of Parliament to bring about a constitutional amendment as promised by Reddy to end the crisis over the sealing drives," Malhotra said.

Ministry sources admit that there are limited options before the government to cease the MCD drives that sparked widespread protest by store owners facing municipal action.

"With no relief in place by the court on sealing drives, the option to place the Delhi Laws (special provisions) Act beyond the purview of judicial scrutiny is one of the very few solutions left to address the problem," the sources said.

Such a move requires convening of Parliament to place the law under schedule nine of the Constitution.