Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken today sought a CBI inquiry into the "delay" on part of the AAP government in banning 'manjha' in Delhi, alleging it was done to "benefit importers" of the metal-coated Chinese thread.
The Delhi government issued a draft notification for banning manjha on August 16, a day after the Independence Day, when the sales of that thread were almost over, he said.
"Such deliberate inaction on the part of the government and ignorance towards public safety, cost some lives in the national capital on August 15," he said in his letter to the CBI Director.
The DPCC chief alleged the draft notification was "an eyewash" and it has further delayed the actual ban for at least 60 days under the pretext of inviting objections from public.
Two children and a youth had died on Independence Day as kite strings slit their throats in separate incidents across the national capital, prompting the Delhi government to ban the killer thread the next day.
He claimed Rule 4(5) of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 enables the Delhi government to issue the said notification without inviting objections.
Maken said the Karnataka government had banned Chinese 'manjha' on July 22 and before that the Maharashtra and Rajasthan governments too had banned the Chinese thread.
He asked as to what was "holding back" Delhi government from issuing a final notification banning the Chinese manja despite the Delhi High Court's direction to various government agencies to issue advisories to the public regarding the dangers of using nylon/synthetic manjhas.
DPCC in a statement today said, Maken, in his letter, has demanded a "thorough probe" into the matter.
He alleged the Kejriwal government was trying to "pass the blame" to bureaucrats, but when it comes to its clashes with the Centre and others, the AAP government directly blames the Prime Minister and the Lt. Government for its woes.
Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay said that once again the city has seen the "insensitive face" of the Arvind Kejriwal government.
The chief minister, who rushes to all corners of the country to express "politically motivated sympathies" to the people aggrieved due to any unfortunate incident, has gone into "hibernation" over the unfortunate death and injuries to people due to Chinese manjha, he alleged.
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