Gujarat Confidential: In-house wildlife photographer

As Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav participated in a discussion on ‘Green Growth – Vikas Bhi, Sanrakshan Bhi’ in Ahmedabad Sunday, he and two other guests on the dais – Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil and Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas – were welcomed with the framed photographs of Asiatic lions of Gir. Interestingly, the pictures were clicked by co-convener of Gujarat BJP’s media cell Zubin Ashara, who is also a noted wildlife enthusiast and photographer. The gesture was recognised by Yadav during his speech on the occasion as he called for a round of applause for Ashara’s photographs.

Charity At Home

Ratilal Hirani, a hair-dresser who was also a BJP worker in Amreli, died Friday. Besides being a hair-dresser, the 67-year-old Hirani was also a good cook and used to shoulder the responsibility of cooking meals and brewing tea at BJP meetings in Amreli. Given his humble background, a cooperative leader from the district had given Hirani’s son a job at a cooperative bank. After Hirani’s death, senior BJP leader Bharat Kanabar proposed the BJP workers to raise Rs 11 lakh for Hirani’s widow and deposit them in the form of a fixed deposit in his name. Within a day, BJP workers donated Rs 3.5 lakh, diamond baron Govind Dholakia among the leading contributors.