V-C under scanner for attending Modi function

Saurashtra University Vice-Chancellor Dr Kamlesh Joshipura and Pro-Vice Chancellor Kalpak...

Saurashtra University Vice-Chancellor Dr Kamlesh Joshipura and Pro-Vice Chancellor Kalpak Trivedi may find themselves in trouble for their presence at the Youth of Gujarat function organised at Atmiya College in Rajkot on Monday. With the code of conduct in place now, the election office has sought the report on their presence and their speech at the function that was presided over by Chief Minister Narendra Modi .

At a first-ever youth convention organised by educationists with saffron roots, colleges students showered praises on Modi and pledged to work for his mission.

Modi made good use of the 8220;catch them young8221; mantra at Atmiya College, where about 5,000 students from Saurashtra had gathered under the umbrella of Youth of Gujarat.

Youth of Gujarat is a recently floated youth forum with Nehal Shukla, son of Modi8217;s close aide Chiman Shukla, as its convener. On the stage, Modi took the chief guest8217;s chair even as college students performed Sanedo and Titolo types of raas garba to the tunes of lyrics in praise of Modi.

Though touted as an apolitical function, it was attended by Saurashtra University Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, along with syndicate members of the university. In their presence, the students took a pledge 8220;to work as soldiers in Modi8217;s Army8221;. It was termed as Ek Hazaran pledge. They vowed to make another 1,000 youths join in their endeavour.

Students performed garba to tunes of lyrics, which went like 8212;8220;Sanedo Re Sanedo, Modiji No Sanedo8221;. It was followed by a popular garba tune, with the lyrics 8212; 8220;Mehnat To Vai Modiji Ne, Eno Labh Maliyo Gujarat Ne, Modi no rang lagiyo8221; Modi8217;s hard work has paid. Today Gujarat is on the development track.

Modi urged the students to support him in the upcoming elections. 8220;Friends, I am committed to the development of Gujarat. To place it on the world map, I need the support of young Gujaratis, who are not calculative,8221; he said, adding, 8220;The youth of Gujarat has a dream. They have fire in the belly.8221;

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He criticised previous governments for doing little for the region and the youths in particular. 8220;Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960 to six years ago, there were seven universities in Gujarat. Today the number has doubled,8221; he said.

He said lack of proper planning and vision of previous regimes was the prime reason behind Saurashtra8217;s lack of development. 8220;Till six years ago, youth from Saurashtra migrated to Surat and Mumbai for jobs. If there had been proper planning, the exodus could have been reversed,8221; he said, adding. 8220;Friends, give me five years. I will make then Saurashtra-Kutch region the gateway of entire India.8221;