World | India
North Indians branded 'habitual law breakers'
The capital's Lieutenant Governor, Tejendra Khanna, yesterday created a furore by branding north Indians as habitual law breakers.
- By Ajay JhaChief, Correspondent
- Published: 01:04 February 8, 2008
New Delhi: The capital's Lieutenant Governor, Tejendra Khanna, yesterday created a furore by branding north Indians as habitual law breakers.
Khanna, a retired bureaucrat, was handpicked for the job by the federal government in April last year. However, he has already landed the Congress party into trouble on several occasions.
A visibly annoyed Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, moved quickly to ease the situation by promising action against Khanna.
"We will take action against anyone, including the Lieutenant Governor, if they make any irresponsible statement," Dasmunsi said.
Khanna said north Indians take pride in violating the law.
"In this region, the situation is such that commonly it is a matter of pride to violate the law. People feel a sense of honour and pride in violating the law and boasting that no action has been taken against them," Khanna said while addressing a function to launch the Delhi Police's Traffic Patrol Scheme at the India Gate lawns.
Khanna's comments come at a time when Mumbai is facing continued attacks on north Indians by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena cadres.
Delhi is headed for assembly polls later this year and Khanna's remarks were lapped up by the opposition. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party demanded his removal from the post.
Khanna created problems late last year by declaring all residents of the city must carry identity cards or face detention. The scheme was hastily withdrawn even before it could be implemented as it was seen as being aimed against poor migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had blamed the migrants for deteriorating the civic situation in the capital and had to apologise for her remark.
"Delhi is the capital of a democratic India and people have the liberty to decide where they want to live and work," federal minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said.
People feel a sense of honour and pride in violating the law and boasting that no action has been taken against them."
Tejendra Khanna
Delhi's Lieutenant Governor
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