News in brief from across Gujarat

Gandhinagar: The visits of union ministers to Gujarat are continuing. MoS Meenakshi Lekhi was on visit to tribal pockets of South Gujarat today while minister BL Verma was in Mahemdavad and Gandhinagar. Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt was on visit to Vadodara. Tomorrow Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav is going to interact with the students at Gujarat University hall in Ahmedabad.

-Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil inaugurated an exhibition of painting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life and works and on his Mann Ki Baat speeches in Surat. The exhibition has earlier traveled to Ahmedabad and Vadodara. After Surat it will travel to Rajkot. The paintings are done by Akbar Ali who is originally from Karnataka but settled in Dubai for over two decades.

-A group of Sadhu sants will on Friday evening felicitate Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for major demolition drive on Hindu pilgrim island Bet Dwarka. The drive is continuing for the last six days and has cleared scores of religious, commercial, residential and other encroachments over the government land.

– Mobs of Muslims protested Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC)’s move to remove religious flags from RMC’s light poles in Nanavati chawk area. The issue was sorted out after the police’s intervention.

– Gandhinagar North MLA of Congress party, CJ Chavda today said that the party has allotted him a ticket to contest from Vijapur assembly seat in Mahesana district of North Gujarat. Chavda had earlier wished to contest from another seat and shared his wish with the media also.

– Patan town which is the district headquarters of Patan district today observed bandh protesting delayed completion of the new GSRTC bus station. The local traders said that the bus port is not completed even after six years. The businessmen said that the issue is not just limited to traders but it is also regarding the students, patients, relatives of patients and local people. Local Congress MLA Kirit Patel also joined the protest.