Gujarat Confidential

The stall that hosted this heavyweight book claimed it had sold 10 copies since the fair commenced on May 1. Another one by a lesser-known Modi fan Aditya Vasu,Shri Narendra Modi ni Jivankatha,also has a similar chapter on Godhra that details how Modi was inducted into the Assembly after the by-election only on February 24. “Why should the Godhra atrocity happen three days after Modi is formally appointed as chief minister?” the author asks. A third book,also by a local journalist,had interesting pictures of Modi in his RSS days. The back jacket of the book had a note by the author that said “nation is waiting for Modi”…

Shah of Reruns

Former home minister Amit Shah,Man Friday of Chief Minister Narendra Modi,has been initiated in the party politics once again with a decisive role in its affairs. With Shah at the helm in Gujarat,Modi can take a breather and spare time for other,more important national issues. The first litmus test of Shah will be the June 2 bypolls for two Lok Sabha and four Assembly seats. For the BJP,improving its score both in the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha is a foregone conclusion,but the victory margin will be a comment on Shah’s electoral capabilities and organisational skills,especially because Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat will be a hostile turf for the BJP.

Smoking out gutkha

Gutkha has been banned in Gujarat by the Narendra Modi government. But the ban is seriously enforced only in the Chief Minister’s Office at Swarnim Sankul-I in Sardar Patel Secretariat. Better not carry even cigarettes when you go to see any official in the CMO. Though there is no sign saying carrying of gutkha or tobacco-related products is not allowed,sources say Modi is so averse to tobacco that not just his staff,but even visitors are checked for carrying tobacco sachets or cigarette packets at the reception before entering CMO on the third floor. They are frisked and asked to empty their pockets of pan masala and cigarettes in a box at the reception and collect it when they return. Why tobacco,if you visit Modi at his official residence,the security personnel will also keep your chewing gum.

However,this rule does not extend to any other ministerial office. In one minister’s office in the same new complex,a waiting visitor was seen coaxing another to share his “masala” (tobacco-lime mix) to kill time!

Jailbreak secrets

The detection of crime branch,which is investigating the alleged jailbreak attempt in Sabarmati Central Jail,has found out that the Ahmedabad serial blasts suspects who are accused of digging a 213-ft-long tunnel to flee actually had crime branch officials in their crosshairs. A top official told this paper that even Deputy Commissioner of Police Himanshu Shukla was on their target. Apparently,newspaper clippings with Shukla’s picture were also found on them. Crime branch officials claim they have enough evidence to prove they were the actual targets,yet they didn’t put it on record in the investigation,apparently because nobody would believe it! Not surprising,given the fact that many of the half-a-dozen of IPS officers jailed for staged encounters were serving in crime branch at the time of these “extra-judicial” killings.