L A T E S T      N E W S

Infrastructure damage in floods could touch Rs 6,000 crore

Rain briefly hampers relief operations; another 60,000 evacuated

Will ensure flood victims do not suffer during winter: J-K govt

SRINAGAR: All necessary steps will be taken to ensure that the flood-affected people in Jammu and Kashmir do not suffer further miseries during winter which is going to set in less than two months, the state government has said.

"We are aware of the approaching winter. We will take all the steps to ensure that the people affected by floods do not suffer any further," Secretary to state government's Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation department Vinod Kaul told PTI.

Although December 21 every year traditionally marks the onset of winter, the night temperature in most parts of the Kashmir Valley have fallen below freezing point as early as first week of November over the past several years now.
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Kaul said the rehabilitation of the flood-affected persons was a three-staged process with rescue and relief of people from flooded areas being the top priority.

"We are rescuing people and providing them relief like ration, bottled drinking water, medicines and vaccines," he said.

The official said the second phase will involve providing shelter like tents and blankets and other material to ensure that the victims are able to sustain.

He said at present over 130 relief camps are operational in the state where the state government — with the help of local volunteers, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) — is providing the material for the displaced people.

"It is a joint effort. No organisation can work in isolation and each organ of the system is functioning at optimum to provide succour to the victims," Kaul said, adding, the efforts put in by the local volunteers were nothing short of heroic.
Kaul, however, admitted that permanent rehabilitation of the flood victims will be an 
uphill task that will need a massive effort.

Given the extreme weather conditions in various parts of the state, permanent rehabilitation of the victims will need to be expedited, he said. — PTI

Omar for redoubling ration supply to Valley

SRINAGAR: Asserting that restoration of essential services and public utilities on war footing is the priority of the government, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed departments concerned to redouble the ration supply to the valley.

The Chief Minister has directed the CAPD (Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution) to double the ration supply by roping in vehicles from SRTC.

The CAPD has distributed 50 trucks of ration in Srinagar till now.

Taking a comprehensive review of the restorations works undertaken by the line departments to restore the vital services in the state, the Chief Minister asked the departments concerned to redouble their efforts and ensure relief is provided to the people.

He was speaking at a meeting held to review the ongoing relief and restoration works yesterday.

He also emphasised on ensuring that the ration reaches the residents of house boats.

The Chief Minister was informed that the VST's and DSPT'S (telecommunication supply systems) have been set up to improve telecom network coverage in the state.

Directing Commissioner of State Municipal Commission to mobilise men and machinery to launch a full-fledged cleanliness drive, Abdullah asked the civic body to ensure stocks of chlorine tablets.

Other water treatment measures should reach people in adequate quantity to put a check on water-borne diseases, he said, adding, state government will extend all help to check spread of diseases.

The Public Health Engineering department has been asked to fast-track the de-watering process and press more pumps into service.

It was also informed that medical supply has rushed to Handwara, Bandipora, Gurez and various other hospitals in North and South Kashmir.

A Facebook link has also been established by the name of 'operation connect government of J&K' to trace and connect the missing persons.

The District Development Commissioners have been authorised to assess the ground situation and take a decision pertaining to opening of educational institutions in their respective districts so that students can start their education.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the concrete steps taken by administration in Kupwara, Bandipora, and Baramulla.

Earlier, during his visit to South Kashmir, he reviewed the road network at Sinthan Top which is presently being utilitised to ferry essential commodities and supplies for valley.

He also assessed the progress of relief and rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of south Kashmir.

The DDC of Anantnag district briefed Chief Minister on the present flood situation, relief and rescue measures being undertaken.

The Chief Secretary briefed the Chief Minister on the situation in North Kashmir and the steps taken by the administration.

Abdullah also took a brief regarding the water level at various places in Jhelum river and was informed that the water is receding or stable at most of the places.

About one lakh sand bags are available in the state to be used for plugging the breaches as soon as the water recedes.

The Chief Minister was informed that road networks are almost established and that Batwara road will be cleared immediately. — PTI

J-K wants Centre to rush 300 paramedics to flood-hit state

Himachal tourism to bloom due to floods in Kashmir

SHIMLA: Floods in Kashmir may be a boon for Himachal Pradesh. A surge in tourist inflow to Himachal Pradesh is likely in the upcoming festive season because the devastating floods in Kashmir are scaring away tourists.

Tourism industry representatives are expecting a 30 to 35 per cent increase in the arrival of tourists with the onset of the Dussehra and Durga Puja festive season in the first week of October, particularly in places like Shimla, Manali and Dharamsala.

"We are expecting 30-35 percent increase in footfall of the tourists during this period in the state compared to the previous years," Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp (HPTDC) general manager Yogesh Behl told IANS.

He said most tourists from West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi are opting to Himachal for vacations with the onset of Navaratri and Durga Puja.

"Our information centres are getting enquiries from the tourists who are now opting Himachal due to the natural calamity in Kashmir," he added.

After the peak tourists' months of May and June, it is the long Dussehra and Durga Puja holidays that every year attract a stream of holidaymakers to the hill state.
Corporate executive Malvika Arora from Delhi said she had cancelled her bookings in Srinagar and now is planning to visit Manali during the Dussehra holidays.

Hotelier and travel agent M.C. Thakur, who is based in Manali, some 250 km from the state capital, said adventure tourists, mainly foreigners, one of the major attractions of Himachal from September to October, is also gaining this season.

"Most of the foreigners generally prefer to drive down the 475-km-long Manali-Leh highway. From Leh, they travel towards Srinagar. Now with the condition of Leh-Srinagar roads quite bad, most of them prefer to come back to Manali again," he said.

Backpackers, especially from the US, Britain, Italy, France and Germany, come to Manali this period for adventure-related activities like trekking, rock-climbing and mountain biking.

Estimates of the state tourism department show over 100,000 tourists are likely to visit the state during two long weekends in October and November.
The first long weekend starts from Oct 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) and ends Oct 6 (Bakri Eid).
The second one is from Diwali (Oct 23).

"Diwali this year is Thursday. So if you take an off Friday and combine the holiday with the weekend, you can practically party for four days without really allowing your work to suffer," says a travel agent.

Likewise, Moharram falls Nov 4 (Tuesday).

Vijai Singh Mankotia, vice chairman of the state tourism development corporation, said for the tourists who want to enjoy rural tourism, staying in homestay units would also be the right option.

"We are going to promote homestay units in a bigger way during the two-day apple fest going to be held in Shimla Sep 25-26," he told IANS.

He said during the festival, a unique initiative to promote homestay units set up in orchards, an attempt would be made to take the tourists to the orchards and to promote those destinations.

The rural homestay scheme, started in 2008, have provided employment to around 3,000 people and generated economic activity worth over Rs.4 crore in the state, say officials.

The scheme also succeeds in driving tourists from traditional hotspots to offbeat destinations.

At present, over 350 homestay units with a room capacity of around 900 have been registered with the state. Out of these, over 120 alone are in the Kullu-Manali region. The Shimla and Dharamsala areas have around 100 units.

The tourist arrivals in Himachal Pradesh every year surpass the state's population of about 6.8 million. –IANS

J-K floods: IRDA asks life insurers to settle claims fast

NEW DELHI: In view of massive floods resulting in loss of lives and belongings in Jammu & Kashmir, the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDA) has asked life insurers to take immediate steps for expeditious settlement of claims.

"In order to extend every possible facilitation in quick and timely settlement of life insurance claims to the affected people of the state of Jammu & Kashmir...initiate immediate action to ensure that all initial claims are registered and eligible claims are settled expeditiously," said an IRDA communique to CEOs of all life insurers.

The sector regulator has also asked the life insurance companies to nominate a senior officer who would act as the nodal officer in the state for coordinating or expediting settlement of all the claims that are reported.

"Convey the contact particulars of the nodal officer so nominated to the chief secretary and officer concerned of the government of Jammu & Kashmir who would be overseeing the efforts being made to mitigate the suffering and loss of the victims of the floods," it said.

The nominated nodal officers may be also advised to contact the chief secretary or officer concerned of the state of Jammu & Kashmir to discuss facilitation measures, IRDA added.

It has also asked companies to follow the process exercised during Uttarakhand floods last year in case difficulty is arising in obtaining a death certificate due to non-recovery of the body.

Further, IRDA has asked the life insurers to submit a progress report on the claims settled on a weekly basis.

Life insurers have also been asked to provide services such as dedicated toll free number, a dedicated e-mail ID and contact address of the local offices. -PTI 

1.5 lakh people still marooned in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Nearly 1.50 lakh people are still marooned in the areas of the Kashmir Valley submerged in flood waters, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said.

At an all-party meeting Saturday, he said even though 1.42 lakh people have been rescued in the recent floods that ravaged the state, nearly 1.50 lakh are still stranded in the Valley alone.

He also said properties and infrastructure worth Rs 6,000 crore has been destroyed in the floods.

Authorities on Sunday said 45 per cent of the total electricity supply to the Srinagar city has been restored. — IANS

Islamic State video claims beheading of British hostage; PM Cameron vows action

LONDON: The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the beheading of a British aid worker on Saturday, an act slammed as "pure evil" by Prime Minister David Cameron who vowed Britain would do all it could to catch the killers.

President Barack Obama offered US support for its "ally in grief", while Cameron faced growing calls to allow Britain's military to help in Washington's planned assault against the rampaging jihadist group.

The British Premier will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee early on Sunday in response to the online video purportedly showing a masked IS militant killing hostage David Haines in retribution for the US and British campaign against the group.

Cameron called the attack "a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker" and "an act of pure evil".

"We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes," he said in a statement.

Two US journalists have been murdered in similar circumstances in recent weeks.

Obama slammed the latest attack as "barbaric" and said the US "stands shoulder to shoulder tonight with our close friend and ally in grief and resolve".

Britain has yet to join US air strikes against IS in Iraq, but has offered to arm Kurdish Peshmerga fighters battling against militants in the north of the country, a move cited in the latest video as a reason for revenge.

Britain's foreign office said it was "working as quickly as it could" to verify the two-minute-27-second clip, entitled "A Message to the Allies of America".

The video opens with a clip of Cameron describing the British strategy of working with the Iraqi government to help arm Kurdish fighters against "these brutal extremist militants," and to offer aid, diplomacy, and military help to pressure IS.

Haines then appears, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, and identifies himself before calmly explaining that he is paying the price for Cameron's policy.

The attacker — who appears to be the same man as in the previous two beheading videos — tells Britain the alliance with the US will "accelerate your destruction" and will drag the British people into "another bloody and unwinnable war."

At the end of the clip, he also threatens to execute another captive, identified in a caption by name as another British citizen.

Haines's brother Mike paid tribute to a "good brother ... who was recently murdered in cold blood."

"He was, in the right mood, the life and soul of the party and on other times the most stubborn irritating pain in the ass," he said in a statement.

"He was and is loved by all his family and will be missed terribly." Scottish-born Haines, 44, was taken hostage in Syria in March 2013 and was threatened in a video released this month depicting the beheading by an IS militant of the US journalist Steven Sotloff.

IS released a video claiming the execution of fellow US journalist James Foley on August 19.

Former head of the British Army Richard Dannatt on Sunday piled pressure on Cameron to let the country's military join a planned assault against IS, announced by Obama this week.

"What we absolutely need to do is not be cowed in any way by yet another foul murder of a hostage," he told Sky News.

"We can support them (the US) to confront, attack and defeat the Islamic State jihadi fighters ... and make sure this cancer is removed from the region before it spreads more widely."

Under pressure himself to tackle the problem, Obama on Wednesday set out a strategy which would include air strikes in Syria and expanded operations in Iraq.

But Cameron will be wary of playing into the hands of the captors by escalating tensions and is also recovering from last year's humiliation of failing to achieve parliamentary support for air strikes against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

As part of efforts to build up local support for action, US secretary of state John Kerry on Saturday sought to bolster relations with Egypt during meetings with its leaders.

Egypt's formidable army is unlikely to take part in a military coalition against IS, but the country boasts the prestigious Sunni Muslim authority Al-Azhar, which Kerry said would fight back against the Islamic State's use of the religion.

Kerry takes his push to forge a broad coalition against Islamic State jihadists to France on Sunday, on the eve of an international conference in Paris on peace and security in Iraq.

The CIA put the number of IS fighters at 20,000 to 31,500 in Iraq and Syria, up to three times the previous estimate.

US aircraft have carried out more than 160 strikes in Iraq since early August, the US Central Command said on Saturday. — AFP

Madrassas give ‘education of terrorism',
says BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj 

LUCKNOW: Bharatiya Janta Party MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday alleged that madrassas were giving “education of terrorism”.

“Education of terrorism is being given in madrassas. They (madrassas) … are making them terrorists and jihadis …. It is not in national interest,” the MP from Unnao constituency told reporters in Nademau in Kannauj district, 120 km from Lucknow.

He alleged that students were not being taught about nationalism in the religious schools.

“Tell me about one madrassa where tricolour is hoisted even on August 15 and January 26,” he said.

The MP said madrassas “which have no connection with nationalism” are being given government aid.

“Most of our schools do not take the aid but it is being given to madrassas having no connection with nationalism,” he said.

The Samajwadi Party denounced Sakshi’s “hate speech”, saying it was an attempt to create division among communities.

“Sakshi has given a hate speech which is aimed towards creating differences in society,” SP spokesman Rajendra Chaurdhary said.

Earlier, during a programme in Etah on September 7, Sakshi had reportedly labelled madrassas as “hub of terror” and alleged that ‘love jihad’ prospers through such institutions.

‘Love Jihad’ is the term used by Right-Wing Hindu outfits while referring to alleged conversion of Hindu girls through marriage. — PTI

China ready to meet ‘half way'; asks India to boost 'work efficiency'

Dushanbe: Ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit, China has sought “work efficiency” in India and welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to push reforms to spur economic growth, saying it was “ready to meet India halfway” in its quest for development and prosperity.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was all set to sign pacts providing for major investment in infrastructure projects in India, including industrial parks and railways networks during Xi’s visit while expressing confidence that the trip will elevate the bilateral ties to a “new level”.

“Of course we look forward to reforms. Economic reform is in India’s own interests. We can tell that Prime Minister Modi is pushing ahead with the reforms. If you insist on me mentioning one area, we hope you raise your efficiency of work,” he said when asked to identify areas for reform to boost Chinese investments in India.

China’s foreign exchange reserves, the largest in the world, reached a record USD 3.95 trillion in March and it plans to invest around USD 500 billion overseas in the next five years, a share of which is expected to find India’s way. 60-year-old Xi, who took over as the head of the ruling Communist Party in 2012 and President and military chief in March last year, had been sending clear signals of boosting bilateral relations with India and is likely to make major announcements about Chinese investment in India’s infrastructure sector.

“We can feel the strong desire of the new government of India led by Prime Minister Modi to strengthen China-India relationship. Probably, this is fully in line with the fundamental interests and wishes of India as a nation and its people,” Wang said. Welcoming efforts by Modi to bring a new momentum in the Indian economy, he called for joining of hands by the “two major markets” in the world to chart a new course of growth in Asia while and said the “highly complicated” boundary dispute should not be allowed to hamper bilateral relations.

“Our overall thinking is that China and India, as two big neighbours, as two big markets and as two of the world’s major civilizations should unite for even closer cooperation so that together we can usher in a new path of growth and development for Asia in the 21st Century,” Wang told PTI in an interview here in the Tajik capital.

Calling for greater cooperation in key areas, he said the time has come for China and India to seek joint development and prosperity so that together both the countries could contribute to peace and prosperity of the humanity. “We are ready to meet India halfway and echo India’s efforts and we have full confidence that under leadership of Prime Minister Modi, China-India relations will enjoy even broader prospects,” Wang said.

Wang identified trade imbalance between the two countries as a major issue and underlined the need to address it. The bilateral trade in 2013-14 declined to USD 65.85 billion from a high of USD 74 billion in 2011. The trade deficit stood at USD 35 billion in favour of China as against USD 39 billion in 2012-13.

Talking about state of Indian economy, Wang said economic reform was crucial for fueling the growth rate. “Of course we look forward to reforms. Economic reform is in India’s interests. We can tell that Prime Minister Modi is pushing ahead with the reforms,” he said.

Asked about the boundary dispute, the Chinese Foreign Minister termed it as a “highly complicated” issue and said both sides will have to maintain peace and stability along the border areas till its resolution. “This is something leftover from history. It is highly complicated. We have set up a complete set of dialogue and conversation mechanism. I hope that the two sides will make joint efforts to move towards the direction of resolving the boundary issue through cooperation,” he said.

Wang said both the countries had agreed not to let the boundary issues hamper the overall interests of the bilateral relationship. India asserts that the border dispute covered about 4,000 km, while China claims that it confined to about 2,000 km to the area of Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers as Southern Tibet.

India and China have so far held 17 rounds of talks by Special Representatives to resolve the dispute. Wang said a number of agreements will be signed during Xi’s visit to India beginning September 17. “The upcoming trip to India by President Xi will elevate China-India relationship to a new level through concerted efforts of both the sides.

“The Indian side, including Prime Minister Modi and your President are attaching lot of importance to President’s Xi’s upcoming visit to India and we believe with the joint efforts of both sides, the visit will be a full success,” he said. He said both the sides will sign three agreements marking the establishment of sister city relationship which will be a major step to promote sub-national level cooperation.

Identifying terrorism as a major challenge, he said the international community has the responsibility to work together to combat the menace. Wang also welcomed India’s bid to become a member of the Shanghai Corporation Organisation, a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.

The SCO in its summit here on Friday had set the ball rolling to make India a member of the bloc which will give the largest democracy a greater say in issues relating to combating terrorism and involvement in major oil and gas projects. — PTI

Border dispute solution: China prefers status quo, says book

NEW DELHI: There are few signs that China is willing to settle the boundary issue unless India completely subscribes to its world view and agrees to remain within its 'red lines' which is unlikely to happen, says a new book.

The boundary dispute is utilised by China for trying to coerce foreign policy changes by India that often have nothing to do with the dispute itself, the book 'India-China Boundary Issues: Quest for Settlement' by former diplomat Ranjit Singh Kalha says.

Kalha, a former Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry, had led India's negotiating team in the Boundary Sub-Group from 1985 to 1988.

China has used the threat of intrusions across the LAC — as part of coercive diplomacy — in order to influence decisions in a way most desirable for it. And that is also the principal reason why China does not desire an early conclusion, the book, published by Pentagon Press, says.

Solution of the Sino-Indian border question is not a mere technical matter but rather a political and a strategic issue whose ramifications go well beyond the bilateral field. If the Sino-Indian boundary question was merely a technical matter, it would have been resolved a long time ago, the author says.

Policy changes take place after assessing whether such a change, subtle or otherwise, would lead to greater advantage or it would end in a disadvantage. No policy decisions are taken in isolation or are taken in vacuum.

"In other words, a boundary settlement is only possible if India were to remain within the 'red-lines' drawn by China, the book says. 

Kalha says Chinese paranoia about India's intentions towards Tibet continues still, for whenever a Sino-Indian joint statement is envisaged, the Chinese insist that a sentence be incorporated stating that 'Tibet is part of China'.

The fact remains that there is continued strategic mistrust between the two countries, with no sign of any approaching convergence. Therefore, China will continue its policy of keeping India strategically confined to South Asia with the active assistance of Pakistan, and strategically imbalanced by continuing incursions across the LAC on the border, the author says.

"It goes without saying that there are political factors present, both in India and China, that do favour a solution, but perhaps only under certain circumstances. In this context, it appears that policy makers, more so on the Chinese side may have taken the decision that present status quo is perhaps preferable than opting for a solution," the book says.

The author says it is indeed an anomaly as to why there is no settlement with India when all other similar boundary disputes with other states have been settled. "It is not as if there are no solutions possible, but there has to be a will, a reason and an inclination to settle," he says.

China has 22,000 km of land borders with 14 states. Of these, 12 have finally and conclusively settled their border disputes with the People's Republic. Thus the Sino-Indian boundary question is perhaps the most important and the only dispute that remains to be settled despite decades-long period of negotiations that have taken place between the two countries, the book says. 

Citing de-classified US, Soviet and British documents, Kalha traces the influence of the great powers on the course of events and on the boundary issue itself.

A National Security Staff Memo to President J F Kennedy recommended that it was in US 'interest' to keep up a 'high degree of Sino-Indian friction', the book says.

Although the US felt that the Chinese blunder (in 1962) had for them an unprecedented opportunity to win over India to its side, at the same time the Americans were also not that keen that the friction and hostility in Sino-Indian relations, particularly over the boundary issue, should end soon, it says.

"The more bitter the quarrel and so long as it remained within manageable bounds the more it would be to the strategic advantage of the US" said the NSC memo to President Kennedy, the book says. — PTI

MH370 mystery: 58 'hard objects' found in Indian Ocean

KUALA LUMPUR: The Australia-led search team for the missing Malaysian flight MH370 has discovered 58 hard objects inconsistent with the Indian Ocean seabed, raising hopes of solving the over six-month-long aviation mystery.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) which is leading the search for the plane is currently in the midst of retrieving the objects to be analysed.

"We have only discovered 58 solid objects but yet to learn if they are from (Malaysia Airlines) flight MH370. We have to verify whether the objects are the plane's wreckage or hard rocks before coming to a conclusion," he said in a press conference today.

Liow also said Malaysia's Petronas will be deploying its "Go Phoenix" vessel to assist in the MH370 search mission at the southern Indian Ocean floor.

He said the asset, which is commonly used in oil exploration is expected to arrive in Perth on September 21.

"'Go Phoenix' will help in the search mission, alongside Australia's Furgo Discovery ship to map the ocean floor," Liow was quoted as saying by the New Strait Times.

The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 — carrying 239 people, including five Indians, an Indo-Canadian and 154 Chinese nationals — mysteriously vanished on March 8 en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier this month, the Australian authority leading the search for the plane said that "hard spots" had been found on the Indian Ocean seabed, but that most would likely be geological features.

Experts are conducting a sonar survey of a remote patch of the southern Indian Ocean, an area never previously explored in such detail, in preparation for an underwater search for the plane.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau had said the sonar search had provided information on the depth of the water and the composition of the sea floor in the search zone.

Last month Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the ongoing mapping of the ocean floor had already uncovered "quite remarkable" geographical features, including the discovery of new volcanoes up to 2,000 metres high.

Six months after the jet disappeared in the Indian Ocean, aviation experts are still clueless over the world's greatest aviation mystery.

The search operation, described by Australian officials as the largest in history, has so far turned up no debris from the plane. — PTI

Dikshit sticks to her position on Delhi govt formation issue

NEW DELHI: Undeterred by attack from within the Congress for her comments on government formation in Delhi, Sheila Dikshit on Sunday stuck to her position, saying she did not back BJP's bid to power and was only explaining the "factual and constitutional" provision on the issue.

The former Delhi Chief Minister, who had led the Congress to victories in the Assembly polls in Delhi in 1998, 2003 and 2009, maintained that it will not be wrong to invite the BJP to form the government if the Lt Governor feels it has the numbers.

Asked how the BJP can form a government as both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party had ruled out support to it, Dikshit said it was for the BJP to get the numbers.

"It is for them (BJP) to get the numbers. It is not our job. What I said was factual and constitutional," Dikshit told PTI in an interview.

The former Chief Minister, who was made to resign as Kerala Governor last month, said she cannot think of backing the BJP and was only explaining norms and rules.

"If they have the numbers, that's the only way they can form a government. It's not about my supporting or anybody supporting them. The Lt governor has to be satisfied that they have a majority and only then they can form a government.

"If invited, they will have to prove their majority in the Assembly. I stated the facts," she said.

Dikshit's comments on Wednesday that the BJP should be given an opportunity to form the government created political ripples with the Congress criticising her while the BJP had welcomed it.

Asked about Congress' criticism of her for the comments, Dikshit said the party, probably, did not understand what she stated.

"I think they did not understand it. I was stating a purely constitutional requirement. I said the BJP can form a government like the AAP had formed a government when we gave them support from the outside.

"It is the case everywhere, be it Parliament or state Assemblies," she said.

When asked what will be the option if the BJP could not get the required numbers, Dikshit said in that situation fresh elections will have to be held.

Congress had distanced itself from Dikshit's "shocking" statement on the formation of government by the BJP, saying it was her personal view and did not represent the party's stand.

The Congress as well as the AAP have been demanding immediate dissolution of the Delhi Assembly and holding of fresh polls.

Dikshit's comments favouring the formation of government by the BJP had come when the party was facing severe embarrassment after the AAP alleged that a senior leader of the saffron party's city unit offered a bribe of Rs 4 crore to one of its MLAs for switching sides.

Asked whether she will return to active politics, Dikshit refused to give a direct answer.

The former Delhi Chief Minister indicated that she was not keen to return to Delhi politics, saying the young generation should take the lead in taking forward the Congress.

Lt Governor Najeeb Jung earlier this month had sent a report to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking permission to call the single largest party to take a shot at power, though it is well short of majority in the Assembly.

In his report, Jung gave a detailed analysis of the political situation in the city and underlined the need to have an elected government for Delhi which has been under President's Rule since February 17 following resignation of the AAP government.
The AAP and the Congress had come down hard on Jung for his report and accused him of promoting "horse-trading".

The BJP, along with its ally Akali Dal's one MLA, has 29 MLAs in the Assembly and it will require support of five more legislators to prove majority in the House of 67.

The AAP and the Congress have been fuming over Lt Governor's communication to the President to seek permission to invite the BJP, terming it as "unconstitutional". — PTI