3 senior BJP MLAs in Gujarat protest against own government, say many more with them
Gujarat, June 28: Three senior MLAs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat came out in public late on Wednesday evening expressing their resentment against the BJP government in the state. The three MLAs are from Vadodara district.
They have claimed that more than a dozen other MLAs are with them.
This was hours after Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flew out the country on a six-day tour.
The three MLAs are: Madhu Srivastava from Waghodia constituency, Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur and Ketan Inamdar from Savli.
They have asserted that several state ministers and the bureaucracy were not listening to them and are showing a callous attitude to public representatives.
Incidentally, BJP President Amit Shah was in his home state on Wednesday but the MLAs chose to vent their grievances before the media, also claiming that many more legislators were angry with the working of the government.
Madhu Srivastava, who is a six-time MLA, said that other MLAs who share the same sentiments will come out in future.
"Today, we are three but tomorrow there may be 13 or 23. Today we three, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, have got together. Now let anything happen," Srivastava said.
"Ever since the present government took charge six months ago, the bureaucrats in the state are working at their whims and fancies. And when we go to meet the ministers on the designated days for us, we are unable to see them," Srivastava told reporters, as Patel and Inamdar nodded in agreement.
Concurring with Srivastava, Yogesh Patel said that their only demand was that when they seek resolution to the issues of their electorate, it must be sorted out, but this was not happening.
Asked if they had made a representation to the chief minister about this, Srivastava said, "We are not going to stand in queue (to meet him) if the officials did not allow them."
Ketan Inamdar said their anger was not against the party or the government but with the attitude of the officials.
"The government which is trying to do best for the people should surely have control over the bureaucracy. But it appears that the officials have got thick-skinned," he said.
The BJP swiftly swung into action, asking senior Cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama to intervene.
"Whatever be the issue, I, Nitin Bhai (Deputy Chief Minister) and Jitubhai Vaghani (state BJP President) will speak to them in person and sort out their issues," Chudasama said.
BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said, "The three have been summoned by the state party chief for a meeting in person. We have touched base with them and asked them to put forth their grievances on the right forum."
Courtesy: www.indiatoday.in
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Actor Rahul's death: Film body demands fair probe, files police complaint
Kolkata (PTI): Amidst the controversy over the accidental death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee during an outdoor shoot near Digha in Purba Medinipur district, the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum on Saturday lodged a police complaint against the producers in connection with the incident.
Senior forum members, including actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Santilal Mukherjee, told a press meet outside Regent Park police station that the complaint called for a fair and transparent probe into the tragedy.
"We want the real truth and exact circumstances behind the incident to come to light," a forum member said. Actor Rituparna Sengupta was also present at the briefing.
Banerjee's wife, Priyanka Sarkar, was also present but did not speak to the media.
"On March 29, during the shooting of television serial 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' at Talsari near Digha, our colleague and forum member, actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, tragically passed away due to an accidental drowning," the forum said in a statement on Friday night.
"In this regard, the forum, on behalf of its members, sought legal advice to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. Accordingly, a formal letter was sent to the production house.... on April 1 seeking clarification," the statement said.
"However, the response received on April 2 was found to be unsatisfactory and inadequate. Since then, various opinions and concerns have also been expressed on social media regarding the incident," the forum said.
Mukherjee said in light of this, and after further legal consultation, the forum has decided to initiate legal proceedings.
Chatterjee said the forum would consult lawyers to decide the next course of action.
Meanwhile, several members of the Bengali film industry held a procession from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio, a distance of around 1 km, carrying placards reading 'Justice for Rahul'.
The rally was led by several known faces of the industry, including actor-director Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, director Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee, actor Rudranil Ghosh, actor Riddhi Sen, actor-theatre personality Kaushik Sen, among others.
The rally was supported by technician federation director Swarup Biswas.
Earlier, the makers of 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' had expressed grief over Banerjee’s death and assured that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be examined transparently.
"The entire cast and crew are in profound mourning. We request a few days to gather accounts of those present so that a comprehensive and accurate report can be presented," the producers had said, adding that a representative nominated by the actor’s family or the forum could observe the process.
Police officials said according to eyewitness accounts, Banerjee and a co-actor were filming a dance sequence in knee-deep water when they slipped into an underwater ditch. Both were taken to a hospital in Digha, but Banerjee could not be saved.
Banerjee rose to fame with the 2008 Bengali film 'Chirodini Tumi Je Amar', directed by Raj Chakraborty, which starred him opposite Priyanka Sarkar and became a major hit.
Rahul, who had started his career in early 2000, acted in several critically acclaimed Bengali films and TV soaps after the blockbuster success of Chirodini in 2008 and also started hosting a podcast which gained popularity.
