Sanjay Joshi meets 'sidelined' BJP leaders in Gujarat

Ahmedabad/Surat, Oct 14: Former

general secretary and

's bete noir

on Sunday attended a series of meetings in

where many state party leaders apparently sidelined by the Chief Minister were present.

Joshi, who was unceremoniously removed from the post of general secretary of BJP on the insistence of Modi, visited Ahmedabad, Surat and Navsari districts where he met many party workers and RSS volunteers.

In Ahmedabad, he attended a religious ceremony organised by former MLA Bhavin Sheth where apart from Sheth three former city councillors and a couple of local BJP leaders were also present. According to sources, all these leaders were sidelined by Modi. Joshi, however, did not respond to reporters' queries on Modi or upcoming Assembly elections.

"I am here to express my respect at a religious event and from here I am going to Surat where I have prior engagements," he said. Joshi also visited RSS headquarter in the city and went to visit personal assistant of slain BJP leader and former Minister of State for Home, Haren Pandya.

Later, he visited Surat and Navsari where also he met many party leaders and workers, most of them were not considered to be from Modi camp. During a public meeting in Surat, he criticised UPA government and the Prime Minister and took a dig at Robert Vadra. Lambasting UPA government over FDI in multi brand retail, he said, it "has taken the decision under US pressure."

PTI