‘Drunk’ Cong leader held after car chase

“If medical tests confirm I was under the influence of alcohol,I will retire from political life,” said Masrani,who recently led an agitation against an alleged land scam by top RMC authorities.

The latest incident has once again highlighted the ugly rivalry between the young leaders of Congress and BJP that turned violent during Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Sadbhavna Mission function at Rajkot in last December when former Mayor and BJP councillor Uday Kangad allegedly assaulted and threatened city Congress president Jaswantsinh Bhatti in public.

While the B-Division police,which booked Masrani under the Prohibition Act,said he was drunk when he was caught following a long chase,Congress and the BJP gave their own versions.

Kangad has reportedly told the police that Masrani called him on his cellphone Monday night and threatened to “finish” him. Masrani also allegedly told him that Bhatti,along with 15 armed men,was coming to “finish him off”. Kangad,according to his own admission,challenged Masrani to come for a showdown at Kisan Para.

When Masrani reached Kisan Para,police teams were already present. Masrani then drove towards Ahmedabad highway before being intercepted and caught.

According to Masrani,however,Kangad’s brother-in-law informed him about an impending showdown between Kangad and Bhatti at Kisan Para after which he went to spot to prevent the clash. Once there,he found no one after which he left for Ahmedabad,but police stopped his vehicle and booked him under the Prohibition Act when they could not find anything objectionable in the vehicle.

The incident comes a week after Masrani filed a case in Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court against RMC Commissioner Ajay Bhadoo,deputy commissioner P P Vyas and town planner Bakul Rupani for allegedly giving away land owned by the civic body to a trust run by kin of BJP councillor Karshan Vaghela for a pittance.

Two weeks after the clash in December last,leaders of both political parties had met at BJP veteran Vijay Rupani’s house,where they reached a compromise and vowed to practise healthy politics.

End of car seva for Masrani?

Meanwhile,RMC authorities have decided to “withdraw” the official car provided to Keyur Masrani. Top civic officials said a notice was also being sent to the contractor for the car service and also the driver who drove a “drunk” Masrani all the way to Ahmedabad highway resulting into a chase by the police.