NEW DELHI, JAN 13: On Tuesday night, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma sent a fax message to the newspaper offices, inviting reporters to a press conference at Azad Hind Gram tourist complex near Tikri Kalan. Today, at noon, Sahib Singh greeted the reporters and began talking about, believe it or not, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.``In the last 10 days, representatives of the Indian National Army have met the officials of Delhi Government thrice. They were seeking permission for holding a function at this memorial on January 23. But there has been no response from the Government,'' said the former chief minister.That was the official reason for the press conference.But Sahib Singh came to the point soon. With hardly 48 hours left for the proposed Cabinet expansion at the Centre, he just wanted to send a reminder to the Prime Minister.``I believe in the words of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He said to me that next time there is a Cabinet expansion, I will be considered and would be given the portfolio which would be suited to me,'' he said, ``I can only hope he remembers what he had said,'' Sahib Singh said with a tinge of melancholy in his voice.That he was not confident of the Prime Minister's memory, was clear the next moment. Not getting a Cabinet berth was not the end of the world, he said. ``I will work for the BJP, even if the party does not give me any official responsibility. Just like the thousands of workers of the party who also do not hold any crucial posts,'' he said, half to himself, half to the press.He took pains to elaborate. ``It is not necessary to have a post. For instance, in the last four days, I have been to three places in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh organising the party units,'' he said.For the record, Sahib Singh went through the anti-Congress rituals which would justify such a press conference.Getting nostalgic about the tribute the BJP Government paid to the INA martyrs, he raised another finger at the Congress regime saying that the annual function at Phulwari, where four INA soldiers were hanged during the freedom struggle, was not held this year.``The Government is trying to pass off our plans and schemes as their achievements, like the Rs 1,625-crore water treatment project by the World Bank which was approved during our time,'' he said.In an expected broadside against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, he said, ``She says she has controlled the prices, which came down because of the new crop. She has obviously got in touch with the trader. But she should take rounds of the city, get a grip on the problems of unauthorised colonies, slums. In the last 40 days, she has not even got to know about the Capital, how can one expect performance from her?''
