4 held over banners against Ranjan Bhatt’s Vadodara Lok Sabha candidature

Police action against Odh and Vasava triggered sharp reactions from the grand old party. Several Congress leaders of the Vadodara unit even arrived at the Warasiya police station on Wednesday evening, and implied the ruling BJP brought out their infighting in the open with the posters. On the other hand, BJP city unit chief Vijay Shah lashed out at the rival party and stressed, “Since the time that the BJP has won 156 seats in the 2022 Assembly polls under CR Paatil… the Congress has been frustrated.”

On Thursday, all four accused were released on bail.

After securing the bail, Odh spoke to reporters and clarified he had not put up the banners on the party’s behalf. He said he wanted to “register his protest” against Bhatt’s candidature for the Lok Sabha polls.

“I put up the banners at night so as to not cause any nuisance to the people… I did not cover my face despite knowing that there were CCTV cameras around. I did so because, like many BJP workers have been claiming, I too listened to my inner voice. I think Ranjan Bhatt has been an inefficient MP for Vadodara and she needs to go. As a Congress worker, I am even willing to contest the polls against Ranjan Bhatt… No one from the BJP approached me to ask me to do this,” he said.

Two others were arrested from the Vadsar area of the city late Wednesday for violating the provision of the Representation of People Act that restricts the printing of pamphlets and posters, which do not bear the names and addresses of the printer and publisher. The banners in Vadsar had questioned the “neglect and disinterest towards Vadodara’s development” by the state government.

Odh and Vasava were arrested under two bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Representation of People Act. The Congress members have also been accused of criminal intimidation under IPC section 506 as one of the posters allegedly carried a “threat” for Bhatt, police said.

On the arrest of two others, inspector MK Gujar of Atladara police station said, “Since it is a bailable offence, we arrested them, and let them off with a warning. The cases under the Representation of People Act are note-cases and not FIRs…”