Cong MLA held,MP says not done

“We were discussing with the collector about the funds to be allocated by the Centre to the district. Chauhan,who was falsely accused by the district administration on Sunday,was also present there. When the meeting got over,police came and arrested him,” said Taviyad.

Defending Chauhan,she said when the MLA went to ask the officials whether protocols were followed to call her to the building inauguration ceremony,“they told him he can do whatever he wants to”.

“Chauhan just requested them to include my name on the placard,which is followed as a protocol. But they alleged he was drunk and manhandled them. Nothing had happened. This is unbecoming of an IAS officer,” she said.

DRDA is a centrally-funded agency in which local MLAs are elected as chairman,Taviyad said.

She added: “Earlier,DRDA was functioning from a rented premises and a new building was possible only with Central funds. But this is the treatment that our MLAs get from officials.”

Taviyad said she would seek intervention of Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal in the matter.

“About 15 days ago,Revenue Minister Anandi Patel was in Dahod to inaugurate a municipality office. They did not invite any local Congress leader.” she said.

“We are here to work peacefully with the administration. But they do not follow protocols. We would remind the honorable Governor once again for her intervention,” she added.

The district administration,meanwhile,denied any politics behind filing the complaints.

Superintendent of Police N N Chaudhary said Chauhan was booked under various charges for assaulting a government servant.

He said the MLA was arrested from the collector’s office because he was evading the police.

“He is accused of manhandling government officials and damaging public property in an inebriated state. These are non-bailable offences,” he said.

In February,Taviyad along with a few local Congress MLAs was detained by Dahod police to avoid any disturbance during a Garib Kalyan Mela at Kadana in Panchmahals,which was attended by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Later,Taviyad had sought the Governor’s intervention in the issue.