Ahmedabad, 8 February 2012

While hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat(IRCG) in year 2003, the Gujarat High Court division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J.B. Pardiwala today pulled up the Gujarat government for “inaction and negligence” on its part during the 2002 post-Godhra riots that led to large-scale destruction of religious structures. The court said that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.

The court also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. They have been asked to send their decisions to HC within six months.

IRCG’s petition had sought court’s directions to the government to pay compensation towards damage of religious places during riots on the ground that the National Human Rights Commission, too, had recommended that.

The state government had opposed the IRCG petition, saying it was a violation of article 27 of the Constitution.

The government further said that there was no policy with regards to compensation for restoration/repair of religious places damaged or destroyed during the riots.

Ahmedabad, 7 February 2012

Chief Minister Narendra Modi rounding up the day-long Sadbhavna fast at Bavla near Ahmedabad today said there is a basic and wide difference between the ideologies of the previous Congress Governments and that of the present Gujarat Government.

“While the Congressmen worship chair; we adore public. While their’s is vote bank politics, ours is that of development. There used to be only one festival during the Congress rule and that of communal riots, ours only festival is development,” he said.

Even as over 12,000 people from different parts of Ahmedabad district voluntarily joined him in his district-wise fast as part of his mission to hold such fasts at 33 places, Mr. Modi expressed his gratitude to the teeming social force in supporting his dutiful Sadbhavna mission, turning into a people’s movement of sorts.

He said the people of the state now recognize the role of Narendra Modi in fighting malnutrition, freeing girl children from anemia. All the 18,000 villages in the state now get 24×7 hours electricity. The Narmada waters have been carried to far off places by canals and pipelines, replacing the corruption-ridden system of supplying water through tankers. Single-lane roads have been converted into double-lane, and double-lane into four-lane.

“No other leader of India would have received such a huge public support. Not even political pundits could analyze the reasons for the same. Gujarat’s Chief Minister and the state’s development are discussed in far-off Uttar Pradesh elections, too.” Mr. Modi said.

He said that Gujarat alone provided 72 per cent of total jobs created in India. He exuded confidence that Ahmedabad district would soon provide the maximum number of jobs to the youth. A number of car manufacturers have made farmers of Sanand, Bavla and Kathwada villages affluent and happy. Maximum numbers of farmers now move around on bikes in Gujarat. Over 2.50-lakh Sakhi Mandals do a business of Rs.5,000-crore.

On the other hand, he said, the Central Government failed to provide 100 days jobs under its own programme to the unemployed in this time of inflation, while the functionaries were busy only in dividing the society.

Mr. Modi said that the people of Gujarat have also reposed confidence in the present government by providing political stability, from top to the village panchayat level. He advised other states to shun the politics of vote bank and creating communal divides, instead adopt the politics of development.

The Chief Minister on the occasion announced new development works worth Rs.1,800 crore for the Ahmedabad district, while he had earlier announced that worth Rs.2,000- crore for Ahmedabad City.

Visuals of fast venue

Rajkot, 7 February, 2012

Dr. Subramanian Swamy may visit the state of Gujarat again in third week-end of this month.

Rajkot based TV Mehta Charitable Foundation has invited Dr. Swami to grace the genius youth fiesta function on 17th of this month.

“Dr. Swami has accepted the invitation, but the date can change to either 18th or 19th,” said Shri DV Mehta, Chairman of Gardi Vidyapith.

Gardi Vidyapith runs nine colleges in its 28-acre Rajkot campus, offering a range of programs in Engineering, Management (MBA, PGDM), Pharmacy, and Master in Computer Application (MCA), Institute of Film & Television, and Institute of Music, Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication, and Institute of Aviation.

Youth Fiesta 2012 is expected to attract 1,50,000 visitors from different schools and colleges according to an official announcement. Youth Fiesta will involve around 1000 to 1200 projects, participation of 600 teachers and lecturers, over a carpet area of 1,00,000 sq ft at Race course ground in Rajkot.

By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 7 February 2012

“Narendra Modi combines machine-like efficiency with charismatic nationalism. He is from a party that is out of power in Delhi, his efforts at the state level can contrast with or even undermine efforts of the central government,” such observations have come from America based Brookings Institution, one of Washington’s oldest and most prestigious think tanks.

In his article “‘India’s G-7: Local leaders with global interests,” William J. Antholis, Managing Director of Brookings has listed India’s seven largest economies and seven Chief Ministers who lead them.

Identifying Gujarat as one of the newly emerging industrial engines of India where GDP matters, the author writes,”Narendra Modi, from mid-sized Gujarat (a mere 60 million people), leads the pack. Modi combines machine-like efficiency with charismatic (and many say destructive and divisive) nationalism.”

“If a chief minister, such as Modi, is from a party that is out of power in Delhi, his efforts at the state level can contrast with or even undermine efforts of the central government. That can include bucking national bureaucrats in attracting foreign investment or damming rivers, or regulating power. It also can mean condoning anti-Muslim sentiment that complicates India’s tense relations with Pakistan,” the article further said about Modi.

The blog further reads:Chief ministers have significant influence over the members of parliament from their party who are sent to Delhi. And many of them secretly or openly aspire to be prime minister some day. In contrast to the Delhi-based managers who have run the country for sixty-five years, the new breed brings a feel for local politics. But they also have distinct views of the international economy will transform India — for better or worse.

By Rupang Bhatt, Ahmedabad, 6 February 2012

Gujarat Lokayukta case is scheduled to be heard on 20th March in the Supreme Court of India. Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar will hear the case possibly for continuously three days starting from 20th March.

In this context it is very interesting to know about the number of lawyers that are representing both sides. On one side there’s the Government of Gujarat whose minister of state for law himself has filed the petition against the method adopted by the Governor of Gujarat while appointing the state Lokayukta. On the other side there’s retired Justice RA Mehta and others. And the total figure of lawyers involved in this case from both sides is mind boggling 48!

The lawyers fighting for petitioners(the government of Gujarat) are Harisn N Salve, Mukul Rohatgi, Soli Sorabjee, Yatin Oza, Rajeev Dhawan and Mihir Thakur as senior advocates, Kamal B Trivedi as AG and Prakash J, Sangeeta Kishen, Mahesh Agarwal, Rishi Agrawala, Prakash Jain, Amit Panchal, Ankur Saigal, Abhinav Agrawal, EC Agrawala, S Uday Kumar Sagar, Bina Madhavan Praseena E Joseph, Unmesh Shukla(for M/S Lawyer’s Knit & Co), Amit Panchal, Sanjay Hegde, Tenzin Tesering, S Nithin and Anil Kumar Mishra. The total comes to 26.

While the lawyers fighting this case from respondent retired Justice RA Mehta and others are: Fali Nariman and SB Upadhyay as senior lawyers and Huzefa Ahmadi, Ejaz Maqbool, Anand Yagnik, Umang Vadhela, Garima Kapoor, Mrigank Prabhakar, Pawan Upadhyay, Anisha Upadhyay, Dipak Kirata S, Param Mishra, Sharmila Upadhyay, Prashant Bhushan, Yogesh Joshi, Ravindra Adsure as lawyers. Added to this Mr. PP Rao, Padma Laxmi, Varun Vaghela, Abhijat P Medh and Rajiv Nanda are with respondent as intervenors. So the other side has a strength of 22 lawyers.

The court allowed intervention applications as not opposed by Mr. Harish Salve, senior counsel appearing for the State of Gujarat. The court has ordered to list the matters on 20th March, 2012 for final hearing at admission stage. The court has also said in its order that written submissions, if any, may be filed in the meantime.

Ahmedabad, 6 February, 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today observed a day long Sadbhavana fast at Bardoli in Surat district, where thousands of people gathered to greet him.

Speaking at Sadbhavna fast function Shri Modi said, “development is the sole medicine for resolving every problem of country. Gujarat is the first State in the country where our Government fights every election on the issue of development, while others fight elections with “vote bank strategy”.

The Chief Minister said, Gujarat Government rules the State with absolute sensitivity and care for people. We have taught the right definition of development to the world. We have set up 41 universities in last decade against 8 universities that were established in the past 40 years. We have established Science stream schools in every tribal taluka of the State, right from Ambaji to Umargam tribal districts across the State.

Coming down heavily on Union Government, he said, “Center’s policy is to “Divide and Rule while our policy is Inclusive Growth-Collective Efforts”. He called upon people to eradicate Vote Bank policy from the political field and said, “If others want to follow Gujarat in development sector, they should not merely copy us but, first of all, they must adopt our path of peace, harmony and integrity”.

Shri Modi announced a development package of Rs. 1300 crore for the all round development of Surat district, totaling to Rs. 3400 crore. It May be recalled that he had announced Rs. 2100 crore for Surat city and district before two months during his Sadbhavana Fast in Surat city.

“If you defame me I don’t care, but if you try to defame Gujarat, I will never tolerate it”, he warned his opponents.

Attributing the development of Gujarat to six crore Gujaratis Chief Minister said, Gujarat’s development was solely based upon unity, harmony, peace and integrity of 6 crore people of Gujarat . Gujarat and development has become the synonymous to each other Gujarat has adopted the path of peace. Curfew and riots have now become past in Gujarat . Gujarat has earned a unique identity in the world.

Religious leaders from various communities, people from all section of society, sports persons, journalists, physically handicapped and school children, women-house wives, teenagers, Merchant Association, youngsters and old persons and thousands of tribal people in their traditional dresses dancing with drums and musical instruments, met shri Modi, and extended their strong support towards the noble cause of Sadbhavana Mission Fast. At least 15000 people of the district voluntarily observed Sadabhavana Fast with Chief Minister at the same venue to show their solidarity with CM.

District Collector A.J. Shah handed over the cheque of Rs. 67,50,000 for 1,35,000 subscription of Gujarat Magazine, being published by State Information Department.

Minister-in-charge Mangubhai Patel in his welcome speech said, Gujarat Government’s Vanbandhu scheme for tribal community, women, youngsters and rural people have changed the life style of tribal people of state. Assembly Speaker Ganpatbhai Vasava, BJP State President R.C. Faldu, MP Kanjibhai Patel also spoke on the occasion. Member of Parliament and BJP National Vice President Purushottam Rupala lambasted Opposition for their one point programme of criticizing Chief Minister Narendra Modi. State Panchayat Minister Narottambhai Patel, Ministers Prafulbhai Patel and Jitubhai Sukhadia were also present.

As thousands of people across the district gathered to greet the CM, the large stage was flooded with flower bouquets and mementoes.

Ahmedabad, 6 February, 2012

While Gujarat Congress has announced the ‘Hisab do, jawab do’ agitation programme against ruling BJP government in the state, the Gujarat Chief Minister today took dig at Congress party’s this slogan and used same slogan while asking Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to clarify his stand in Rs 1,76,000 crore 2G scam. Modi challenged that if the latter was not able to clarify his position then he should quit in the larger interest of democracy. “Break your silence or quit”, he said loudly. Chief Minister Modi was speaking this at his concluding speech of a day long Sadbhavana fast in southern Gujarat city of Bardoli today.

Gandhinagar, 6 February, 2012

A group of 20 students from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir on a tour of Gujarat expressed their admiration at the latter’s level of development and wished a similar atmosphere of peace prevailed in their home state as well.

The students on the tour under Central Government’s cultural exchange programme called, ‘Vatan Ko Jano’, had called on Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Gandhinagar on late Sunday evening. They visited Kankaria Kids City and Science City in Ahmedabad and Rann Utsav in Kutch.

One student even asked the Chief Minister that since he had changed the face of Gujarat into an icon of development could he do it for India, too.

In a role reversal of sorts, Mr. Modi said that earlier Kashmir used to be centre of attraction for tourists from Gujarat and now tourists from Kashmir are coming to Gujarat. He said that Gujarat Government felicitated the 500,000th tourist to the picturesque site of Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam across River Narmada.

Ahmedabad, 6 February, 2012

District Collector of Ahmedabad today briefed media persons on preparations of Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Sadbhavana fast which is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Bavla village near Ahmedabad city.

District Collector first talked about E-sanchar project that has been implemented in the villages around Bavla. Core part of E-sanchar project is an LCD screen at village panchayat through which live information on various schemes and projects are relayed from district headquarter.

He further briefed the media persons that as many as 1.5 lakh visitors are expected to visit the Sadbhavana fast venue tomorrow.

The Collector said that, as many as 16795 people of Ahmedabad district will observe fast with Shri Narendra Modi during the event.

Collector Shri Vijay Nehra further added that more than 1 lakh pouch of drinking water and buttermilk, primary health care centre, 65 CCTV cameras, more than 1000 SRP jawans and 150 higher officials will be there at the Sadbhavana fast venue.

Over four lakh children are to be given tithi bhojan. A state-of-the-art exhibition on development works in the district has been set up at the venue.

Collector office gave information on diversion of various routes leading to fast venue.

He also briefed about the security arrangements and various works going on in Bavla and surrounding villages for last 10-15 days.

Rahul Gandhi’s 6 February Varanasi press conference in video

Delhi, 6 February 2012

Addressing a press conference in Varanasi today, Congress party’s national General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that on one side BJP talks about fighting corruption while on the other side Gujarat Chief Minister is fighting to stop Lokpal. Rahul said, “they(the BJP) have a chief minister in Gujarat who is currently fighting to stop Lokpal.” BJP has yet not reacted to this yet.

How Rahul’s statement on Modi is not entirely true?

-It’s called Lokayukta when it comes to Gujarat. Lokpal is for centre, and not Modi, but the central government that halted Rajya Sabha without passing Lokpal bill is stopping Lokpal that way.
-Modi is fighting court case not exactly to stop Lokayukta. It is just by-product of his court battle. Actually the state government is fighting against the method of appointment of Lokayukta in the state adopted by the Governor.
-The core contention of Modi and his government is that the Governor can’t take such executive decision without consulting the state cabinet.
-If there’s one party government in state and other party government in centre, and centre appointed Governor starts giving executive orders then it can harm the federal system. This is the basic contention of the fight in Gujarat Lokayukta case.

Delhi, 6 February 2012

When reporters asked party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi about absence of “Star” campaigners of the party in campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Shri reportedly Joshi replied: “When we have Sun(suraj) and Moon(Chanda) campaigning, who cares for Stars (sitare)!”

Section of media is seeing this as a dig at Narendra Modi who is so far absent in the UP assembly poll campaign. In Uttar Pradesh the first phase of campaign ends today.

Shri Modi didn’t address a single campaign rally in Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly elections too in recent past.

Modi will be busy with Sadbhavana fast today in Bardoli, he will be in Bavla for Sadbhavana fast tomorrow, on 8th he will chair a cabinet meeting, on 9th he will be in Sidsar(Jamnagar district) in Patidar community function, on 10th he will be in Palitana in Sadbhavana fast programme, on 12th he will be in Ambaji for Sadbhavana mission fast.

As the second phase campaign is going to end on 9th of this month, it is certain that Modi would skip the second phase campaign of UP poll too. But there are five more phase remaining, and considering all of them, the entire UP campaign will actually end on 1 March. Even the state of Goa is witnessing assembly poll on 3 March and its campaign too ends on 1 March.