Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday traded charges on the current situation in the capital.

Dr Harsh Vardhan, president of the Delhi BJP, accused the Sheela Dikshit government for not anticipating what was coming and not taking a bold stand before the Supreme Court of India and Delhi high court and present the correct picture before them on the ground realities of the capital in case the courts decided to go ahead with sealing of shops and business premises in the residential areas.

Speaking to newsmen Delhi chief minister Sheela Dikhshit, while refusing to comment on the proceedings in the courts, claimed that her government as well as the Central government had come out with necessary ordinance to remove the hurdles, which allowed the mixed use of the residential areas by the businessmen.

"I am not going to comment on the orders of the courts. But we did keep the ground realities in mind. What was good in 1982 is not good now because there is a sea change in the situation. The population of Delhi has grown almost one and a half times. There is no land in Delhi to build more markets or commercial areas," she said.

She regretted the incident in Seelampur in which three persons including a child lost their lives. "The incident should not have taken place. Now inquiry would establish what happened," she said but did not spell out who has ordered the inquiry.

Dr Harsh Vardhan accused Dikshit and her government of pooling wool over the eyes of the Delhiites and not protecting their rights when it came to presenting the facts before the courts. "If everything is to be done by the courts then why do we have Dikshit as the chief minister or why have the cabinet at all.

Let the people approach the courts and let courts redress the complaints of the people. Trouble is that this government which has been in power for last eight years has failed on every front and sealing of shops is just one of the issues," he said. His party is likely to adopt aggressive posture on Thursday and would try to put the Congress on the mat.