Oppn asks North Mayor to step down over dengue crisis

Already facing flak over rising number of dengue cases in the the city, the BJP-ruled North Corporation also faced the opposition's heat in its House today, with Congress councillors asking the Mayor to step down for "failing" to check the spread of the deadly disease.
Members of the Congress-led opposition, along with Leader of House Mukesh Goel, wearing black bands on arms and foreheads, shouted anti-BJP slogans, and later trooped in the Well of the House in protest.
The protesting councillors also wore placards around their necks, one of which read, "Janta hai dengue se pareshan, BJP so rahi chadar taan (people are battling dengue, and BJP is oblivious to it)."

"On Thursday, we had written a letter to the North Mayor Ravinder Gupta requesting him to allow a discussion on dengue situation in the city, for half-an-hour. But, our request was summarily rejected, an therefore we protested today," Goel told PTI.
"And, in short notice, the Mayor is discussing how NDMC can utilise land further. This is grossly insensitive...I mean, dengue cases have reached near 6,000 and they will break the record of 2010 soon and so many people have died. And therefore, on moral grounds, he (Mayor) must resign," he said.
Goel also said that despite unofficial dengue death having gone up to over 30, MCD's tally is still 17 for the last two weeks, and alleged, "MCD is trying to downplay the death cases, fearing public outrage."

"You go to any hospital, even the smallest one has 15-20 patients, and MCD says, no deaths in last two weeks. Is it not strange and hard to believe," he added.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation has six zones and Karol Bagh Zone has reported maximum number of cases (384) in the areas falling under the NDMC.
NDMC, itself has reported maximum number of cases among the three corporation, at 1,734 cases.
"The Mayor, whose ward falls in the Karol Bagh Zone, instead of working on dengue crisis is busy with publicity stunts like going to Kejriwal's house wit h14 fogging machines, to prove what. He must resign, he has no moral authority to occupy that chair anymore," Goel said.

Nearly 2,200 fresh cases of dengue have been reported in the last one week, taking the seasons total to around a whopping 6,000 as hospitals across the city continued to be flooded with patients affected by the mosquito-borne fever in which 33 people have died so far.