New Delhi, April 3
Standing on a small wooden platform, BJP's national spokesperson and New Delhi Parliamentary constituency candidate Meenakshi Lekhi spoke on promises that will be fulfiled, if the party comes to power. Addressing a small gathering at Khirki Extension today, she spoke on the promise of delivering on a range of issues, from the development of urban infrastructure to employment.

But, the people had something else in their minds. "This place has become a mini-Africa," shouted a woman. Another woman claimed that the Africans have allegedly started prostitution and drug rackets in Khirki Extension. Lekhi asserted that it was a law and order situation. While recalling AAP MLA Somnath Bharti's raid against the Africans in the locality to curb the alleged rackets, she said that it was legally wrong. "Women cannot be arrested at night," she said. But the residents disagreed. "He was right. You have come here to take votes. Your problem is that you only have a few days left to ask for it. But this is the problem (in regard to Africans) we are facing every day. But you have never come here to solve this problem," said a residents, Rakhi, at Lekhi.

Speaking to The Tribune over the phone, she said, "Obviously these people are AAP supporters."

Ten minutes ago, it was not an angry atmosphere that had surrounded Lekhi as she stepped outside her SUV at Khirki Extension. With the rhythm of the dhol (drum) she began her campaigning. Walking side by side with her supporters who garlanded her, she smiled and waved at the residents. They stood along the streets or at their balconies, watching her pass by.

A local resident said that due to the prostitution and drug rackets allegedly run by the Africans, the locality lacks security. "The police do not do anything about it. We have complained several times to them, but they have not listened to us. We are afraid to allow our women and children to go out at night," he said.

On the other hand, a Nigerian national named Yusuf said that the locals of here are racist. "I have been staying in this locality for the past two years. Sometimes without any provocation we are beaten by the locals. And if one of us intervenes, they assemble as a mob and attack us. There are Indians living in Nigeria also, but we do not treat them this way. There is no prostitution and drug rackets run by us. Most of us are students. And I think I will leave this city and probably go to Mumbai," he said.

At the other end of Delhi at Pandav Nagar, the AAP's New Delhi constituency candidate, Ashish Khetan, arrives in a SUV in the afternoon. He starts walking from the main road with his supporters and heads towards Kathputli Colony, where a large gathering of people are waiting for him. Swinging brooms - the party symbol - in their hands, in a chorus they shout "Aa gaya jhadu wala aa gaya". He is greeted by the residents of this tiny, dilapidated colony, which had been highlighted by him in a Rs 1,000-crore scam.

At a press conference last week, Khetan had said that when Congress leader Ajay Maken was the Urban Development Minister he had allegedly sold land in the colony to Raheja Builders for more than Rs 6 crore. Khetan added that according to a Delhi Development Authority audit, the land is worth Rs 1,000 crore.

Residents of Kathputli Colony, who are all artists, assert that Khetan is supporting them at this juncture when they are likely to be evicted from their homes. "We learnt that we will be shifted to the Anand Parbat transit camp. Maken betrayed us by selling our land to Raheja Builders without even consulting us. We have been staying in this colony for the past 50 years. It was the dream of our grandfathers to see us settle down here without any problems. But that dream remains shattered. We are all poor and the only thing that we have left is our honour. That honour remains in the dirt," said Raju, a singer.

Raju said that the matter is pending at the Delhi High Court. He, along with the other residents, is demanding their share of land at Kathputli Colony. "But if we cannot be given the land, we should be provided accommodation near the colony. The reason we are asking for this is that our livelihoods depend on it," he said.

While the residents openly show a dislike for Maken, he campaigns at Sudharshan Park near Moti Nagar, where he appears to have a strong support base. He is the Congress candidate for the New Delhi Parliamentary constituency. Dressed in a plain shirt and trousers and wearing thick glasses, he smiles at people, who block his path to garland him and wish him luck for the polls. In one such instance, an old man holds him by his shoulders and tightly hugs him.

Manish Kumar, a resident of the colony, said, "Earlier there was nothing in Moti Nagar. Electricity was a major problem and so was the sewage system. There were weak, single storey houses. Now there are multi storey buildings. And all this has happened due to Maken's efforts."

Becoming an auto-rickshaw driver in Delhi was not an easy choice for Sunita Choudhary. But, 36-years-old Sunita is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi Parliamentary constituency. A social worker, rushing accident victims to hospitals and fighting for women who are victims of crime, Sunita aims to become a Member of Parliament to further help the public.

She says that women security should be the top priority of the government. "If women are secure, then the nation will be secure," she says.

Choudhary explains that it is important to change the mentality of the public to prevent rapes. Women should also be employed, she adds.

She has been working as an autorickshaw driver in Delhi for the past eight and a half years. "I did not think before joining this profession. I am from Uttar Pradesh and I had shifted to the city about 15 years ago. My expenses were increasing and the problem for women is that they cannot easily find an accommodation. About one and a half months ago, I had gone to Meerut. I did not have enough money to rent a room at a guesthouse, so I went to a dharamshala (shelter home). But the caretaker said that they do not rent out rooms to lone women," she said.

Sunita is not married. "I am searching for someone," she laughs.

She claims to dedicate herself in helping people in distress. "I give free service to accident victims. If I see a vehicle hit someone, I note down the number. Take the victim to the hospital and inform the police about the accident. The police have often used me as a witness in such cases," she said.

New Delhi, April 3
Buoyed by a large number of teaching and student communities coming out on streets in the North East Delhi constituency to seek votes for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Prof. Anand Kumar feels confident of winning the poll.

Prof Kumar assured people of providing basic amenities and telling them what real development means. Arvind Kejriwal rode along with Prof Kumar in an open gypsy and started their journey at 10 am from Yamuna Vihar and later departed for Pusta Road.

"Overall development of the area, providing basic amenities, including access to water, good roads, electricity, sewers, hospitals, to its people and high quality education will be high on my priority. I will show what development means, on ground," said Prof Kumar, AAP candidate from the seat.

During the road show, Prof Kumar discussed about local issues like electricity, water among others.

"The intense participation in today's rally clearly signifies the mood of voters in the constituency, which is towards the AAP. People feel suffocated with the hypocrisy of the Congress and the BJP, which, in the past 20 years, have blatantly ignored all their basic needs," said Prof Anand as he waves to the crowd during the rally.

The successive governments led by both the Congress and the BJP at the Centre and Delhi have served a double whammy for North East Delhi.

"Development has taken place only on papers leaving a big scar on the hope of people here," slammed Prof Kumar.

Whereas, Kejriwal, attacking the Congress and the BJP, said, "I am still here, I have to teach a lessons to both of them."

Kejriwal attacked the Congress and the BJP by saying, "I am fighting election from Varanasi because I want to defeat Modi and I am very hopeful that Kumar Viswas will defeat Rahul Gandhi from Amethi," he said.

New Delhi, April 3
Delhi Congress today slammed BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's anti-Muslim remarks and said it will file a complaint with the Election Commission.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Arvinder Singh Lovely, while addressing a press conference said, "We criticise Ramesh Bidhuri's comments.

"This is the mentality adopted by the BJP. The Gujarat model that they talk about is nothing but this kind of ideology and politics," Singh told mediapersons.

Seeking support for BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Bidhuri had yesterday reportedly told a rally that "30 per cent of the country's Muslims harboured terrorists, and the Modi government would have zero tolerance for them."

Senior Congress leader Haroon Yusuf, who was also addressing the media, said, "Muslims do not need a certificate from the BJP. Now it is clear what kind of Modi model they want to bring in the country." Singh also assured that Rahul Gandhi's rally on April 6 at Ramlila Maidan here would be a "historic" one.

The Congress has chosen the venue keeping in mind the resettlement and unauthorised colonies nearby, he said, adding that the UPA has always worked for their development.

In a development, three persons, including Delhi Mayor Satvir Singh, joined the Congress today.

Others to join Congress include NCP councillor Pushpa Singh and Valimiki Sena member Ashok Kumar.

New Delhi, April 3
The Delhi State Council of Communist Party of India (CPI) today released Delhi election manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.

The manifesto condemns the neo-liberal and pro-corporate policies pursued by the Congress-BJP governments for the past 20 years. "Such policies have led to hungers, skyrocketing prices of all essential commodities, ever-growing unemployment and widening economic disparity. Loot of natural resources and scandals have become routine with the connivance of top bureaucrats and ruling politicians," said Secretary Dhirendra Sharma while releasing the manifesto.

This manifesto speak about Delhi in general and South Delhi specific which speaks of problems of corruption, education and an attempt to privatize and commercialize it, problems of public distribution system, transport, public health system, women security, minimum wages to labour, pension to all senior citizens minus income-tax payer, secure zones to all hawkers. It talks of end to corruption in all departments of the Delhi Government and all three Municipal Corporations.

Today CPI candidate Shrichand Tanwar from South Delhi took out a rally in Masoodpur, Mahipalpur, Rangpuri and part of Vasant Kunj. The women teams are holding corner meetings in Aya Nagar, Mandi Park, Shambhu camp, Shanti Camp, Bhimbasti, Jawhar Camp and Jaunapur Village. Five other teams of youth and students electioneering in Sangam Vihar, Deoli Village, Khanpur, Fathehpur, Chananhola, Satbadi, Kharak Village, etc.

New Delhi, April 3
The Sikh community in Delhi staged a demonstration outside the Tilak Nagar police station in West Delhi, alleging that they had been forcibly evicted from an "abandoned" government old age home at Tilak Vihar, where they were holding their 72-hour long religious event called Guru Ka Path.

Akali Dal MLAs, including Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Jatinder Singh Shunty and Harmit Singh Kalka, with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) members and the Sikh community after assembling outside the police station, demanded from the police that they be allowed to restart the Guru Ka Path.

The Akali Dal claimed that the event was to finish today morning but was disturbed by the police when they shifted it to a nearby gurdwara. The locals, however, said that the event finished last night, but the "path'" was allegedly started again.

The police said that the Sikh community did not take permission from them before conducting the religious event at the old age home. The police also said that the Sikhs will have to take permission from Delhi's Lieutenant Governor to continue with their religious event.

New Delhi, April 3
A naked and headless body of a unidentified woman has been recovered from a bag near bus shelter in the Janakpuri area of West Delhi here, said a police officer today.

The body, apparently to be in her 30s, was recovered from a bag around 11 pm last night, a senior police officer said, adding that the bag was lying abandoned near the bus stand and noticed by a passerby, who informed the police.

The torso was stuffed in the bag after being wrapped with a plastic sheet.

"There was no injury marks on the body. As per initial investigation, it appears that the victim was murdered elsewhere and her body was dumped near the bus shelter here," the officer said.

However, the police ruled out the possibility of rape.

"The body has been sent for postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death. The woman's head, it seems, was slashed with a sharp-edged weapon," officer added. — PTI

New Delhi, April 3
The Anti-Corruption Branch of Directorate of Vigilance of the Government of Delhi has arrested two touts for demanding and accepting bribes for issuance of caste certificate.

Chiranji Lal and Rajesh Kumar were arrested for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2,500 from the complainant who had visited office of the SDM in Seemapuri, in connection with the issuance of a caste certificate for his daughter.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACB) V. Renganathan while giving details of the case informed that when the applicant reached the office of Deputy Commissioner in Shahdara, he was approached by the above named touts.

"They induced him to pay the bribe amount so that they can get the caste certificate issued immediately. The complainant contacted the ACB and a trap was laid. Both the accused examined documents of complainant, took his papers and accepted the bribe Rs 2,500. During raid bribe money was recovered from accused Rajesh Kumar and original documents of complainant were seized from accused Chiranji Lal," said Renganathan.

Renganathan informed that a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act of the IPC was registered.

The accused revealed that they remain active during morning hours to afternoon, in front of the gate of office of the Deputy Commissioner in Shahdara. They used to take bribe for getting the SC, OBC, Domicile and Income Certificates issued.