Several Congress leaders join Modhwadia's fast

Gandhinagar, July 18 (UNI) Several Congress leaders, party workers and officer-bearers of NSUI and OBC units from Ahmedabad district, Kheda, Anand, Panchmahals, Dahod and Vadodara district joined Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Arjun Modhwadia's 72-hour fast, which entered the third day today.

Mr Modhwadia sat on a fast in front of the assembly, besides Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue, demanding tabling of a report prepared by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the assembly during the monsoon session, which begins tomorrow.

PAC has prepared the report in association with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and it deals with the controversial Sujalam Sufalam scheme, in which alleged corruption of Rs 500 crore is said to have been made.

Among those present in the fast were Baldevji Thakor,Bhema Chaudhary and ex-deputy Chief Minister Narhari Amin, Sagar Raike, Rajkumar Gupta, Vijay Kella, Himmatsinh Patel, Hari Chaudhary, Ramesh Thakor, Chandravadn Pithawala, Govind Prajapati, Pravin Thakor, Happyben Arora, Hina Patel, Neha Dave and Mandakini Patel.

Addressing the gathering, Narahari Amin said the BJP government has been preventing tabling of the PAC report, dealing with corruption in the Sujalam Sufalam project, for the Past one-and-a- half years.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) general secretary Gaurav Pandya said the people must uproot the BJP government as they suffered enough under the present regime. To avoid exposure to its corrupt ways, the BJP government was preventing the report, which highlights corruption in the project, from being tabled in the assembly.

About 8,000 people from Ahmedabad city and district came today to extend their support. NCP state unit chief Jayant Patel, Mukesh Gurjar, chief of Lokjanshakti party (state unit), Vithalbhai Pandyafather of slain Haren Pandya and renowned educationist Dr Mafatbhai Patel were also present.

Mr Modhwadia will end his fast tomorrow at 1000 hrs before the monsoon session begins. All Congress MLAs will then march to the assembly, led by Mr Modhwadia, and appeal to Speaker Mangaldas Patel to table the PAC report.

UNI