Delhi BJP today launched an agitation demanding removal of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the wake of a court ordering registration of an FIR against her for allegedly misusing government funds for a 2008 pre-Assembly poll advertisement campaign.
Scores of BJP workers took out a procession from BJP headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road towards Dikshit's 3, Motilal Nehru Marg residence in central Delhi demanding immediate resignation of the 75-year-old chief minister.
Delhi Police used water cannons to disperse protestors.
When protestors tried to break barricades near Dikshit's residence, police detained a number of them, including Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel and former chief of the party's Delhi unit Vijender Gupta.
Earlier during the day, addressing a joint press conference, Goel and Gupta said the Chief Minister must resign as the issue was "very serious".
"Her continuation in this post is a gross violation of all norms and traditions of governance. Dikshit is the first Chief Minister of Delhi to have faced such serious charges," they said.
A city court had yesterday ordered registration of an FIR against Dikshit on a complaint filed by Gupta in which he alleged that she had misused government funds to the tune of Rs 22.56 crore in an advertisement campaign ahead of the 2008 Assembly polls.
"The Chief Minister must resign and if she is not ready to do so, Congress party must sack her. Her continuation is against the basic norms of governance.
"She has been clearly indicted by the Lokayukta for misuse of public funds and then the court put a stamp of approval on this by ordering registration of an FIR," Goel and Gupta said.
The two leaders said a delegation of Delhi BJP will meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to press for Dikshit's sacking if she was not removed by her party within 24 hours.
