Refuting the allegations that the Delhi government had a connection to the clash that took place between two factions of Sikhs outside the Rakabganj gurdwara on Thursday, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said her government would take action against the guilty.
“It was a clash between two factions of Sikhs, which is being given political colour by some for their vested interests,” she said.
Dikshit said it was not the first time that an amendment had been proposed in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Act, adding that the matter would be taken up in the assembly session.
She was in the city to preside over a function organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru by the Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust.
Paying tributes to Nehru, she referred to him as a great visionary and a committed soldier who participated in the freedom struggle.
Dikshit expressed ignorance when asked to react to the letter written by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the union home minister, terming the move of the Delhi government to amend the election procedure as “unjustified” and “provocative”, which, he said, had led to the unfortunate incident.
On the contrary, she said, “The Badal government should not interfere in any elections taking place in Delhi.”
{{/usCountry}}On the contrary, she said, “The Badal government should not interfere in any elections taking place in Delhi.”
{{/usCountry}}She described Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as a leader of the future, saying it was premature to comment whether he would be the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 elections.
She was late by three hours in reaching the venue and blamed it on a delay in flight due to smog at the Delhi airport. She blamed the smog engulfing Delhi on burning of stubble in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, saying her statement was based on reports given by NASA.