Former BJP minister threatens direct action Modi govt

Vadodara, Sep 12 (UNI) Former BJP minister Nalin Bhatt, who recently quit the party after spitting venom against Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has threatened to launch a direct action programme if the government failed to provide financial help to those affected by the recent floods in Vadodara by September 23.

Mr Bhatt is currently on a signature campaign in the city and has planned to hand over a list of about 20,000 flood-affected people to the district collector here tomorrow demanding immediate release of cash doles to the poor victims.

Alleging that the government had violated its norms set for payment of flood relief to the affected people, Mr.Bhatt, who has remained loyal to Modi's arch rival Keshubhai Patel, said he would launch a direct action programme and even take the issue to the court of law if the government turned a deaf ear to his demand.

A former state party general secretary and dissident leader, Mr Bhatt was suspended from the party for his ''anti-party'' activities on August 27 last more particularly for organising a road-show in Vadodara protesting against what he called ''mismanagement'' in flood relief measures.

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