Drop Tushar Chaudhary from ministry: Gujarat govt to PM following attack on Tapi Collector office

Ahmedabad, 29 January 2014

A group of Congress workers who were part of the rally led by Union minister and Gujarat MP Tushar Chaudhary today created ruckus inside the district collector office of Tapi district. District police had to lathicharge Congress workers including some women workers to vacat the first floor where Collector office is located.

As the Lok Sabha elections are closer, some MPs are showing activeness again among people. Local MP Tushar Chaudhary today organized a rally to Collector office on electricity bills issue. The rally had thousands of participants, most of them tribals.

When rally reached district collector office, Tushar Chaudhary and others requested Collector to come at the gate of the office and accept memorandum. According to Chaudhary, Collector told them that he would come to gate after some time. However Collector didn’t come. After an hour or so, the rally participants rushed inside the office and even reached first floor of the building. They vandalised name plates and other furniture. Police had to push them using lathis.

Tushar Chaudhary sat on fast outside the Collector office demanding transfer of DySP who lathicharged Congress workers including women workers. Chaudhary questioned why women constables were not deployed to deal with women participants of rally. Chaudhary said the DySP was not in uniform initially, but later on he went inside the room and dressed up in uniform.

Meanwhile leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela has slammed state government over this episode. Vaghela said if it was a BJP rally, Collector would come to the gate happily to accept the memorandum.

Drop Tushar Chaudhary: Gujarat govt

Late in the evening on Wednesday, state govt spokesperson minister Nitin Patel in a statement said that Tushar Chaudhary should be dropped from union ministry immediately as he not only provoked a crowd but also sitting on dharna which is unconstitutional. Patel said Tushar Chaudhary provoked a mob to create ruckus. The crowd was on rampage and attacked the Collector office in presence of Chaudhary and as per the direction of Chaudhary.

Patel in a statement asked the PM that union minister who sits on dharna in public and damages public property should be expelled.

Patel said BJP also participate in political agitation, but ministers don’t participate in any dharna or agitation against the central government.Minister has to respect constitution. Tushar Chaudhary has behaved against constitutional provisions.