Ahmedabad: Keshubhai Patel-led Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had "betrayed" the people of the state by announcing "false" special packages worth over Rs 39,000 crore during his Sadbhavana Mission fasts held in 2011. Terming Modi's Sadbhavna fasts as purely "political" in nature, GPP general secretary Gordhan Zadaphia alleged that it led of loss of Rs 160 crore to the state exchequer.
"During the series of fasts under Sadbhavana Mission, Gujarat Chief Minister had announced special packages for the development works in various districts totalling over Rs 39,000 crore. However, today we can say that it was a sheer bundle of lies as not a single penny has reached the districts," Zadhapia said.
"In response to the RTI queries filed in nearly 70 per cent of the districts, state administration revealed that no such packages were ever announced nor were they aware of them. The grants have neither reached," he said. Citing an RTI reply, Zadaphia said, "In response to an RTI query, Jamnagar Collector has revealed that no official record is available for it."
According to GPP, after his three-day fast in Ahmedabad, Modi had conducted a one-day fasts in every district during which he had announced a special package of Rs 3,500 crore for Jamnagar district, "which finds an endorsement on social media as well".
"Under the garb of pious, religious fasts, people have been betrayed by the Gujarat Chief Minister, as it was all public money spent on a political party function. It has cost the state exchequer Rs 160 crore, and we shall challenge it in the court of law," Zadaphia said.
Zadaphia claimed that transport expenses for ferrying people to the venue of fasts was borne by the State Road Transport Department, while Road and Building Department had incurred over Rs 68 lakh on raising the pandals. "The moot point is that for any government function, money spent should be sanctioned by the house and all elected representatives should be invited to it, irrespective of the party. But in this case, it was not followed," he alleged.
"In these fasts, only BJP functionaries were present on the dais, right from the national general secretary, national president and others top leaders," he claimed. Zadaphia also alleged that when Congress MP Prabha Taviad tried to participate in the fast in Dahod, she was not allowed entry and was forcibly taken away from the venue.
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