Vaghela vows to launch statewide public awareness campaign

The exercise is aimed at regaining the political ground he has lost following his defeat in the Panchmahals’ Lok Sabha seat this year.

Addressing a mass meeting held under the aegis of Bhathiji Mandal,Vaghela vowed that he would not allow Modi to have a comfortable time from now on. He drew the attention of the people towards what he called the “worsening law and order situation”.

He referred to the recent gangrape of a 17-year-old girl in Surat; homicide in Ahmedabad where a businessman killed his family members and then committed suicide to avoid debt burden; the police booking farmers on the charge of withdrawing water for irrigation from the Narmada canal and the hapless farmers attacking the police in retaliation.

When questioned by this reporter about the objective of his launching the movement from Phagvel,he said it is his duty as a politician to bring awareness among the masses about the failures of the state government,and organise them to protest against the highhandedness of the state.

The Narmada water,he said,is meant for the people. He said if Narmada water could be used for filling water bodies in other places,like the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad,there is no reason why farmers should not be allowed to withdraw water from the canal by using pumps,as they are not provided adequate electricity for agricultural purposes.

Regarding choosing Phagvel as his launch pad,Vaghela said it was located at the centre of the Panchmahals Lok Sabha constituency and enjoyed a special status among the state’s OBCs.

He announced he would soon hold similar public conclaves at other places in the state as well. Vaghela,himself a Kshatriya,had formed the government in the state with the Congress supporting his Rashtriya Janata Party. But the Congress withdrew support a few days before Vaghela could celebrate his first anniversary as chief minister.

Unlike in 1996,when he had quit the BJP alleging that his rivals within the party had conspired to defeat him,this time he has not quit the Congress. Although several Congress legislators belonging to the Kshatriya community attended Saturday’s conclave,it was termed as a personal programme of Vaghela.

Even in 2002,Vaghela had chosen Phagvel to start his public mobilisation campaign after he was appointed the state Congress president. In fact,his decision to hold a parallel public function at Bhathiji Maharaj Temple,from where Modi had in advance planned to flag off his Gujarat Gaurav Yatra,had created casteist tensions with the Kshatriya community threatening to prevent Modi from entering the temple. Modi was forced to postpone his programme to avoid a clash.