Former Gujarat minister launches fast against Modi govt

Sep 25, 2011 |

Ahmedabad

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After Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela, former state minister Gordhan Zadafia on Sunday launched his 51-hour Samvedana fast in Gandhinagar.

The fast was launched by Zadafia, who is president of the Maha Gujarat Janta Party (MJP), on the sidelines of the mega rally held by BJP to demand recall of Governor Kamla Beniwal over appointment of Lokayukta.

Zadafia demanded that the state Lokayukta should look into the Opposition claim of Modi government's involvement in corruption charges to the tune of Rs1 lakh crore. The former Minister of State for Home in Modi government had parted ways with the chief minister to float his own outfit.

He began his Samvedana (sympathy) fast near Pathikashram in presence of his party colleagues, supporters and some religious leaders. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Zadafia said the BJP has now become a ‘saffron Congress’, while the Congress has been ‘robbing’ the country.

Terming Modi's fast as a ‘five-star’ event, he said the real issues concerning common people were neglected amid din of the fast and counter-fast.

"It was a mockery of the sacred weapon of Mahatma Gandhi. Modi's fast made a dent of Rs 55 crore to the state exchequer while Congress fast ended up only in political mudslinging," he said.

Claiming that the BJP government has lost ‘sense of sympathy’, Zadafia said he embarked on fast to express his sympathy for the families of Dipesh and Abhishek Vaghela, who were found dead in mysterious circumstances near Asaram Bapu's ashram in Ahmedabad in 2008.

The parents of both the boys are on fast-unto-death since September 17 to press for their demand for justice. The MJP leader also expressed his sympathy to the family of former state minister Haren Pandya who was murdered in Ahmedabad in 2003.

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