Enthused by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing “harmony fast” in Ahmedabad, leaders of Bihar’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday began a parallel fast and havan in Patna in support of the Hindutva mascot’s initiative, heightening the disappointment of Bihar’s senior ruling ally Janata Dal (United).
Senior BJP leader and Bihar’s animal husbandry minister Giriraj Singh, a few BJP legislators and several leaders of the party sat in a symbolic fast and organised a havan at the Kargil Square to show solidarity with the Gujarat chief minister and pray for his long life.
A few BJP ministers from Bihar and several leaders from the party’s state unit have already joined the Modi fast in Ahmedabad. The JD(U), feeling increasingly uncomfortable by repeated comparisons between chief minister Nitish Kumar and his Gujarat counterpart, has made it clear in sporadic comments that the regional party believes Nitish Kumar would be a better prime ministerial candidate than Mr Modi.
While both the JD(U) stalwart and Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi have so far abstained from making statements on Mr Modi’s fast and the assumed efforts for his projection as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014, leaders of both the parties in Bihar have started making cautious statements with clear messages.
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Gujarat govt chargesheet to Sanjiv Bhatt
Ahmedabad, Sept. 18: Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who had implicated Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots, was Sunday served a chargesheet by the Gujarat home department in connection with his alleged unauthorised absence from duty for the last 10 months.
“This is how Modi government shows its sadbhavana,” Mr Bhatt said reacting to the development and referring to chief minister Mr Modi’s ongoing fast.
Mr Bhatt also endorsed allegations made by danseuse-activist Mallika Sarabhai regarding her PIL on the post-Godhra riots cases.
“Today I was served a chargesheet, on the charges that were stated in my suspension letter,” Mr Bhatt said.
Mr Bhatt, a 1988 IPS batch officer, was suspended under the provisions of All India Services (Discipline and Appeals) Rules, 1969 after he submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, accusing Mr Modi of using the state machinery in the post-Godhra riots and asking police officers to look the other way to enable the majority community vent their anger against the minorities.
Reasons given for suspension were Mr Bhatt’s unauthorised absence from duty for ten months, non-appearance before a departmental panel, and misuse of official vehicle. — PTI