Sheila Dikshit asks Congress leaders to end 'infighting'

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday asked Congress leaders to end their "infighting" and unite if they wanted to see party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the country's Prime Minister. Terming Rahul as the source of inspiration for the future, Dikshit said "we have to forget our infighting and unite if we want to see him as our Prime Minister".

Dikshit, while addressing 'Mahila Sammelan' organised by Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress, accused her opponents of misleading the common people to garner votes for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. "Our political opponents, despite seeing the development work carried out by our government are criticising us. They can see metro, roads, transport system and various programmes that benefits lakhs of people but still they criticise us. They are trying to mislead people as the elections are round the corner," she said.

Dikshit said that Delhi was the first state to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in municipal corporations. The Delhi chief minister also announced that on August 20, Delhi would become the first state in the country where Food Security Bill would be implemented. "On the occasion of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary, UPA government's Food Security Programme would be launched in Delhi.

"UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi would hand over the cards to the people and by December 74 lakh people would get food items at a subsidised price," she said, asking the women get their Aadhar cards prepared as in future all the benefits would be linked to it. Earlier, while addressing the gathering, Law Minister Kapil Sibal asked the women to send their girl child to schools and colleges for higher education and ensure their participation in nation's progress.

"For young girls we have Aakash tablets, which will not only help them in education but also enable them gather information," he said, adding there is a need to embrace the technological advancements for betterment of women's life. He said, women are managing their houses, if given a chance can run the country as well. There is a need for them to know their rights and act accordingly, Sibal said. Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath stressed on the need for women empowerment and expressed concerns over the skewed sex ratio in the country. The Minister said women should come forward and strongly oppose female foeticide.