By IANS
New Delhi : Senior Congress party leaders Thursday took serious exception to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's remarks a day earlier that people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were migrating to the national capital and making life difficult.
According party sources, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met Dikshit in his chamber in parliament house. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was also present.
"After reviewing the CD containing her speech, both the senior party leaders asked her to express her regret over the statement," said the source.
Both the leaders asked her to refrain from making such statements.
On Wednesday, Dikshit had, while expressing concern over the rising population in the capital due to migration from neighbouring states, said: "People from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh come to Delhi and settle down here. We have no rules and regulations to stop them."
"Delhi is considered to be the best metropolitan city in the country… People come, become bureaucrats, politicians and settle down here only," she had said while laying the foundation stone of a new flyover in south Delhi.
Earlier Thursday, there was uproar in the Lok Sabha over the Delhi chief minister's "irresponsible" statements.
MPs from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were up on their feet soon after the house observed a minute's silence to pay tribute to freedom fighters on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first war of independence.
There was chaos as all the members shouted and BJP MPs asked for Dikshit's resignation.
Ramkripal Yadav, RJD MP, said the statement was utterly irresponsible. "She should either take back her statement else we will force her to do so."
"When Sheilaji is herself from Uttar Pradesh, how can she make such irresponsible statements. This is uncalled for. If she is so concerned over the migration issue, she should give her home, land and office to some native and return to Uttar Pradesh," Shahnawaz Hussain, a BJP parliamentarian from Bihar had said Wednesday.