In line with UP and Himachal Pradesh, there are demands in Gujarat to mandate displaying the owner’s name on hotels and shops. Such demands have surfaced amid the ongoing Navratri festival, a time when many Garba participants visit restaurants and hotels for late-night meals after festivities. Concerns have been raised that while these establishments may carry Hindu-sounding names, their ownership could tell a different story. At a recent Surat civic body meeting, corporator Vijay Chomal voiced concerns, citing cases where hotels named after Hindu deities were allegedly owned by non-Hindus.
Audio leak sparks tension within BJP
Internal disputes within the BJP’s Ahmedabad unit continue to surface. In a recent incident, an audio clip of Naresh Dabhi, former general secretary of the BJP OBC Morcha in Sardarnagar ward, went viral on social media. In the clip, Dabhi allegedly referred to Naroda MLA and ward president Ashok Hasnanin as a broker, further fueling tensions within the party. The viral clip has prompted swift action from the city BJP leadership. Ahmedabad BJP chief suspended Dabhi and filed a police complaint against him, as the incident damaged the party’s reputation.
Ex-CM withdraws defamation suit
In the Sahara land dispute case on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway, Congress leaders have issued an apology and withdrawn their allegations. The defamation suit filed by former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has now been officially withdrawn. The case was initially brought against then leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa, Congress leader J Chavda, and party MLA Shailesh Parmar after they accused Rupani of involvement in a multi-crore land scam during a 2022 conference. The Congress leaders issued a formal apology, prompting Rupani to drop the lawsuit. Rupani clarified, “There has been no settlement.”
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@newindianexpress.com