Seva Dal not militant, says Congress chief

Disclosing the post-registration programme, Patel said the members would be imparted physical and social training.

He, However, said no parallels should be drawn between the Seva Dal workers and the RSS-VHP-workers as the two were different. “Our volunteers will not take law into their hands”, he said.

On the Gandhi Jayanti rally planned under the banner of Seva Dal, Patel said it would be a historic event in which Congress Legislature Party leader Amarsinh Chaudhary, MPs, MLAs, as well as some 5,000 workers would participate.

He sought to make light of the leadership crisis in the party in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, maintaining he had not received any resignations from corporators from civic panels. “They are not yet appointed, so there is no question of their resigning”, he said.

He said the reports of the dissident corporators planning to form a separate group were not correct. “Everything will calm down after the initial shock as the decision (to retain Himmatsinh Patel as AMC Congress leader) is yet to settle down”, Patel said, adding he had full faith in his partymen and they would accept the party decision.