Rajkot, 10 October 2014

The election battle in Rajkot West assembly seat is actually not between BJP and Congress, but it is between BJP and casteism, it is between BJP and dirty tricks.

If it was Congress party contesting against BJP, the frontal plot of electoral battle on Congress’s part could be Congress’s policies, leadership and shortcomings of BJP. But what is appearing is that here in Rajkot West, the Congress party is seeking vote not in the name of Congress but in the name of caste of its candidate.

Congress candidate belongs to Kadva Patidar community, and Congress party wants majority Kadva Patidar voters of Rajkot West seat to vote in favor of Congress candidate. Congress wants Kadva Patidar votes because BJP candidate doesn’t belong to this community.

While in public meeting, Congress leaders ask voters to vote for Congress because of the failure of BJP government against increasing goondaism in Rajkot, in secret meetings and smaller group meetings, Congress leaders seek vote on the basis of caste factors(Congress is right that Goondaism has gone up in Rajkot, and law and order situation has worsen since Geetha Johri’s tenure as Police Commissioner, but the question is, how Congress MLA being in opposition will be in capacity to help people against goons? On the contrary Vijay Rupani if elected, will be a ruling party MLA and will be able to extend help to locals).

Congress leaders not only provoke Kadva Patidars against BJP, but also are found provoking other segments like Dalits, Brahmins, Kshatriyas in group meetings.
Congress has distributed printed segment wise literature to spark off anger against BJP citing alleged “injustice” to particular community.

While ‘paid news’ are banned, if you give a look at the local Gujarati dailies carefully, you can easily figure out that some of the political stories are paid or sponsored. In such reporting, one community is cleverly positioned against one candidate.

Couple of days back there were headlines that Congress office was torched in Rajkot, while the fact was that not Congress office, but a makeshift tent opposite one of the Congress election offices had caught fire. The loss of property in this incident was even not beyond Rs. 1,000. A police complaint filed in this regard alleged unidentified persons responsible for this act. The incident had happened in the night.

This small incident was however given a twist through media and also through protest programms to make it larger. For around 24 hours, a huge propaganda was made that Congress office was set on fire by BJP goons. BJP later reacted that police should probe the incident and arrest those responsible for such act, because it was Congress’s stunt to get publicity and sympathy.

In connection with a defamatory literature being distributed against Vijaybhai Rupani, BJP leader Bhikhabhai Vasoya has today filed a police complaint against Congress worker Tushar Nandani, an unidentified person and one who spent money for this literature. Police has filed complaint under IPC 153(A), 501, 502, 120(B), 188 and People’s representation act section 125,127(A).

A complaint states that Tushar Nandani and other conspired against Vijaybhai Rupani and published literature in secret place to defame Vijaybhai, damage prestige of BJP, provoke sentiments between communities, harm religious feelings. Such literature was distributed with copies of newspapers without publisher’s name. This is clear violation of election notification.

ACP Dr. HK Patel is investigating the case.