Agitation over RMC renaming issue intensified

Rajkot, May 24 (UNI) Agitation over renaming of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) Zonal Office gets momentum as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Congress, BJP rebels and Bharatiya Jansakti Party join and intensify the agitation.

Congress, BSP and Bharatiya Jansakti Party along with BJP rebel's support yesterday threatened that 'Dalits' from countrywide would gather and further intensify the agitation, if the controversial renaming resolution was not withdrawn.

BJP rebel leaders like former Bhavnagar MLA Sunil Oza, former Rajkot Rural MLA Siddharth Parmar, BSP leader Babu Dabhi, Congress leader Girish Parmar jointly gave the ultimatum to RMC authorities.

In a press conference here yesterday, Bharatiya Jansakti Party leader Sangpriya Gautam said, RMC's resolution of naming the Central Zone Office building after the late BJP leader Chiman Shukala was 'anti-Dalit' and threatened to intensify the agitation along with other like minded parties if the resolution was not revoked.

He alleged that BJP was trying to divide Hindu society by adopting illogical and unconstitutional way in the wake of upcoming parliamentary elections. Countrywide 'Dalits' would gather here to join to agitation if the controversial renaming resolution was not abolished, he said.

BSP held a 'dharna' to protest the RMC decision. They sought intervention of the state government to revoke the resolution for city's harmony. They demonstrated outside the RMC Office and submitted a memorandum to the RMC commissioner.

Meanwhile, Congress has decided to file a defamation suit against Mayor Dhansukh Bhanderi and other elected officials of the BJP ruling body. Congress city President Jaswantsinh Bhatti told UNI that the BJP ruling body gave advertisements on Thursday in local dailies stating that Congress was responsible for recent violence in the city and appealed people to stay away from false propaganda.

The advertisements were signed by Mayor Dhansukh Bhanderi, Deputy Mayor Janak Kotak, Social welfare committee Chairman Devang Mankand and Standing Committee Chairman Jaimin Upadhaya, Mr Bhatti said.

''Congress was not at all involved in the violence,'' he defended and added that ''We will file defamation suit against these leaders for involving Congress in violence.'' Dozens of tyres were burnt and dozen people were injured since the 'Dalits' went on rampage on Tuesday midnight.

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