On Monday, Paatil addressed three rallies in Surat. Chief Minister Vijay Prupani, who was tested positive for Covid-19, was also supposed to address the rallies. (Express File) Taking a dig at the Congress, Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil Monday said the party was earlier “anti-BJP” but had now become “anti-Gujarat”.
“It is this Gujarat that has given (Mahatma) Gandhiji, Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, Narendra Modi, Vikram Sarabhai, and Amit Shah. Yesterday, (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi had in Assam insulted Gujarat,” Paatil said. He was addressing a rally at Pandesara, an area dominated by migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Rajasthan, who work in the textile industry.
Paatil’s remarks come a day after the Congress leader, while assuring to increase the wage of tea garden workers in Assam, said, “Assam’s tea garden workers get Rs 167 per day wage while traders in Gujarat get tea gardens. We promise to give tea garden workers of Assam Rs 365 per day wage.”
On Monday, Paatil addressed three rallies in Surat. Chief Minister Vijay Prupani, who was tested positive for Covid-19, was also supposed to address the rallies.
Referring to Rupani, Paatil said, after he collapsed on the stage in Vadodara on Sunday “he stood up and walked and sat in the car and was taken to the airport. From there, he walked and sat in the flight to reach the hospital. The BJP workers are not afraid of illness, and they work continuously to achieve their target. Even today from the hospital bed, he is in regular contact with party leaders and giving directions.”
