The Bharatiya Janata Legislature Party (BJLP) meeting today turned stormy, with rebel MLAs coming down heavily on the Narendra Modi government for “ignoring developmental works” in their constituencies. The rebel MLAs also demanded that the ‘‘vilification campaign’’ against them be stopped.The meeting, chaired by CM Narendra Modi, was also attended by state BJP chief Vajubhai Vala. After rebels turned on the heat, Modi spoke for just two minutes while winding up the meeting and exhorted the MLAs to work hard to ensure BJP’s victory in the coming municipal and panchayat polls.Kheralu MLA Ramilaben Desai created a flutter when she threatened self-immolation in the Assembly premises if the government did not stop ‘‘victimising and humiliating’’ her just because she had “aligned” herself with the Keshubhai Patel camp.Firing the first salvo, Ramilaben, referring to Modi’s utterances on ‘‘katki-butki’’ (corruption) at recent public functions, asked the CM to declare names of the MLAs he suspected of indulging in corrupt practices.Another rebel MLA and former Agriculture Minister Bechar Badhani took strong exception to Modi’s ‘‘katki-batki’’ utterances at public functions. ‘‘Even I am prepared to face a CBI inquiry,’’ he said.Surat MLA Dhiru Gajera, the most vocal among the rebels, wanted to know who were behind the recent burning of effigies of Keshubhai Patel and Kashiram Rana in Surat. He alleged these were the same people who were involved in the ‘‘dhotikand’’ (where former minister Atmaram Patel’s dhoti was torn off at a public function in the mid-90s).A Rana loyalist, Gajera said if an effigy of the CM was burnt in any part of the state, the police would have cracked down on the demonstrators. But in Surat, the police connived with the miscreants, he charged.Gordhan Zadaphia handed over to Vala a bunch of leaflets praising Modi and criticising his detractors. He demanded a CBI inquiry into who were behind the publication and distribution of these pamphlets.Matar MLA Rakesh Rav raised the issue of reopening of a riot case against BJP legislator Rajesh Pathak, and also criticised the government for failure in providing flood relief.
