Modi silent, but allows ministers, partymen to attack Governor

Vadodara, 30 August, 2011

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is still silent avoiding any public statement on the government’s stand on the appointment of the Lokayukta unilaterally(allegedly unconstitutionally) by the Governor. Instead, he is allowing his party and his ministers to speak on the issue.

On Sunday, Minister for Urban Development Nitin Patel said in a public function in Vadodara in presence of Modi on same stage that the Governor and the Congress had initially sat on the BJP government’s move to appoint the Lokayukta and now the same Governor and the Congress have adopted the process, which is not democratic. “From 2006 to 2009, Narendra Modi had followed the process to appoint the Lokayukta but the files were never taken seriously by the Governor. Even the Congress members were sent reminders about the Lokayukta’s appointment but they did not even attend the meetings,” Patel said.

“When the bill was moved in the assembly, even that time they showed their support and eventually backstabbed us by taking the back-door entry to the Governor who supported them and appointed the Lokayukta. The name of the retired judge suggested by us and which was sent back by the Governor is today the Chief of the Human Rights Commission of Maharashtra,” Patel said.