Law & order dilemma in Home minister’s turf
The dissent among BJP’s state leaders seems to not die down. Former minister and BJP MLA from Anand district, Kumar Kanani, has flagged a law and order issue involving police harassment meted out to people in his constituency. In his letter to Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, the MLA said “For several years, private four-wheelers owners traveling to Saurashtra have been harassed by the cops for the purpose of extracting bribes.” A BJP legislator accusing the state home department has not gone down well with the BJP leadership. The brass tack here is Sanghvi also belongs to the same constituency, in Anand district, as Kanani does.
Rumours fly thick in fast after PM’s stroll
After a public meeting in north Gujarat, PM Narendra Modi stayed at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar on October 30. Later, an impromptu walk taken by him from the Raj Bhavan to the residence of Gujarat CM, half a km away, has caught BJP ministers unawares. The PM denied a vehicle convoy before he could casually sifted through the VIP quarter’s ministerial bungalows and avenues. While there was no comment from any state minister about it, the PM’s walk did kindle a few rumors with them. The hunch with political circles is that the PM enquired about personal expenses incurred by the ministers around their bungalows and possessions.
Echoes of BJP MP’s letter on fake seeds
In Gujarat, fake seeds are also being sold. This allegation was made by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Mokariya in a letter to the agriculture minister. The MP, alleged that some traders were selling fake seeds causing losses for farmers. “Penalties must be imposed on traders who sell counterfeit seeds. There should be legislation on this and such traders’ licenses be revoked. The traders who are apprehended should also compensate for the farmers’ losses,” the MP wrote. The letter by the BJP MP to his own government echoed in the BJP government’s circles, following which Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel called an urgent meeting to review the situation.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@newindianexpress.com