Nalin Bhatt slams NMC visit

During its visit, the Minorities Commission team will conduct a fact-finding exercise into the recent communal violence in Bardoli, Zankhvav, Dangs and other places. Bhatt said a city BJP unit delegation would also meet the team to present its version of the affair.

Claiming that the incidents in Mangrol, Bardoli, Zankhvav, Rajkot and elsewhere had been falsely portrayed by the Congress, Bhatt reiterated that the activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal had been fully justified in doing what they had done.

Questioning the need for the Minorities Commission’s presence when there was a Minorities Board in the State itself, the State BJP vice-president claimed the latter had not received a single complaint in this regard so far.

If the Commission had to come to the State at all, it should concern itself with the cross-border terrorism that was taking root here, Bhatt said. “The explosives used in the Mumbai blasts were routed through Palanpur and Ahmedabad. This is what the Commission should be interesting itself in”, he added.

Questioned on Purshottam Solanki’s presence in the BJP government despite being indicted by the Srikrishna Commission, Bhatt sidestepped the issue, though he had raised it himself by alleging that former Congress ministers were involved in anti-national activities.

He was apparently referring to Mohammed Surti, a minister between 1980 and 1985, who is being tried in the district court in a bomb case.

Also present at the circuit house Press conference were Mayor Savitaben Sharda, city BJP president Pravin Naik, state Law minister Hemant Chapatwala, Deputy Mayor Snehlataben Chauhan and others.