12 Gujarat officers in UP to promote Modi’s Run for Unity

The ‘Run for Unity’ is being organised by Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust — formed under chairmanship of Modi. Sources said that members of the Trust,led by Gujarat ministers,are expected to meet UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and address the press at various places.

The state BJP leaders claimed that no officer from Gujarat has contacted them so far for any help regarding the event.

A senior official of Gujarat government,however,said 12 officers,including Vadodara range DIG Anupam Singh Gahlot,Inspector General of Police (IGP) Manoj Agrawal,IGP Anil Pratham,Additional Principal Conservator of Forests H S Singh and Deputy Secretary in Gujarat’s finance department Rajendra Joshi,have already toured UP to oversee the preparations for the ‘Run for Unity’.

Talking to The Indian Express over phone,DIG Gahlot said,“From Friday onwards,I toured three districts including Agra,Aligarh and Bareilly and visited some schools to meet teachers and appeal them to coordinate other institutions for ‘Run for Unity’.”

A Chartered Accountant in Agra told The Indian Express,“I was told that an officer from Gujarat wants to meet me. I was asked to reach a marriage lawn where 25 other people were already present. There IPS officer Gahlot asked us to mobilise the masses to take part in the event.”

Sources added that Additional Principal Conservator of Forests H S Singh visited Mirzapur recently. Deputy Secretary Rajendra Joshi visited Lucknow to seek appointment from UP Governor B L Joshi for a meeting with Gujarat minister Nitin Patel who is in-charge of ‘Statue of Unity’ project in UP.

Vadodara municipal commissioner Manish Bhardwaj,who belongs to Varanasi district of UP,has been made head of the team of officers visiting the home state.

“Officers have finalised the venues for the 2-km run in different districts. They also visited the educational institutions that will take part in the run,” Bhardwaj told The Indian Express.

He said that officers engaged to oversee work are of Gujarat cadre but to UP.

The UP BJP has already formed district level units for collection of iron for the Statue of Unity.

Sources said nearly 200 officers from Gujarat have been sent to their home states with the same objective.

What is Run for Unity