Cong burn effigies demanding ownership rights for slum dwellers

The Congress party burnt the State Government in effigy in different towns on Tuesday in support of the demand for ownership rights to slum dwellers. In Dehradun, leaders of the Pradesh Congress Committee and its Mahanagar unit gathered at Astley Hall where they burn the State Government’s effigy. The PCC president Pritam Singh alleged that the by bringing out an ordinance the State Government was pretending to be concerned about the welfare of slum dwellers.

Had the State Government really been concerned about their welfare, it would have ordered provision of ownership rights for the slum dwellers instead of bringing out the ordinance. Referring to the ‘thanks giving’ rally earlier planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, the PCC chief said that the rally had been deferred as the party was afraid of sparse crowd in the event. The Congress Mahanagar head Lalchand Sharma averred that the party will intensify its agitation until the slum dwellers are accorded ownership rights.