Only one community responsible for illegal constructions and encroachments in Gujarat: Minister
Gandhinagar, Feb 25 (PTI): Gujarat minister Jagdish Vishwakarma on Tuesday said a particular community is only responsible for illegal constructions and encroachments in the state, a remark contested by lone Muslim MLA of Congress Imran Khedawala in the legislative assembly.
Without taking names, Vishwakarma also said leaders of a particular community are responsible for such illegal encroachments, and by doing so, they are putting Gujarat and India's pride at stake.
The Minister of State for Cooperation was addressing the House on the motion of thanks to Governor Acharya Devvrat.
The governor addressed the House on the first day of the Budget session on February 19.
Vishwakarma made these remarks while responding to Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Amit Chavda's comments criticising the BJP government for "bulldozer action".
Chavda said many legally-constructed houses and colonies were razed by the government in the recent past.
"Legally built houses were demolished in Odhav, Juhapura, Keshavpura in Ahmedabad, and Anand, Dwarka and Ambaji. Poor people suffered due to this bulldozer action. Instead of fulfilling your promise of giving houses, you are demolishing poor people's houses," said Chavda.
Why does this bulldozer not demolish illegal constructions of large corporates or wealthy middlemen working for the BJP, he asked.
Vishwakarma hit back, saying Congress leaders keep mum when the houses of Hindus are demolished.
"I want to respond to those complaining about demolitions in Gujarat. I want to ask who stays (illegally) near Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad. Be it Chandola Lake, or Dwarka or Somnath, you will find people from only one particular community who have done illegal encroachment in those areas," the minister said.
He was referring to the detention of 52 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the areas surrounding Chandola Lake last year and subsequent deportation of 16 of them.
"Leaders of a particular community are responsible for such illegal encroachments and by doing so, they are putting Gujarat and India's pride at stake," the minister said, invoking a strong rebuttal from Congress MLA Imran Khedawala.
"These comments are an insult to my community," the MLA from Jamalpur-Khadia seat in Ahmedabad said.
The minister replied saying he didn't take any name in his remarks.
"I have not named anyone. I want to ask Congress....Why are people from only one community responsible for most illegal constructions and encroachments in Gujarat? The government and the people of Gujarat won't tolerate this," said Vishwakarma.
The minister further said a senior RTI activist "who keeps several lawyers" gives funds to Congress.
"They (Congress) will not interfere if a Hindu's house is demolished," he added without elaborating.
Senior BJP MLA and ex-Speaker Ramanlal Vora said the education system created by Lord Macaulay under British rule adversely impacted education in the country.
"Everyone knows the grandfather of Akbar or any other Mughal emperor. But, children do not know who was the grandfather of Mahatma Gandhi or Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, because it was never taught in schools. That is because of the Macaulay education system," said Vora.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a new National Education Policy to remove this Macaulay education system.
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SIR row: No interim stay on draft electoral roll publication, SC asks EC to accept Aadhaar, voter ID
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the publication of draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar saying it would once for all decide the pleas against the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it would fix on July 29, the time schedule to conduct the final hearing of the matter.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for an NGO, said the electoral rolls should not be finalised in the interim and there should be an interim stay on the publication of the draft rolls.
The bench observed the last order of the top court noted the petitioners not pressing for an interim relief and, therefore, it couldn't be done now and matter would be interpreted once for all.
It asked the poll panel to continue accepting Aadhaar and voter ID for the SIR exercise in Bihar in compliance with its order saying both documents had a "presumption of genuineness".
The court said it prima facie agreed with the order of the top court and the EC accepted in its counter affidavit that Aadhaar, voter cards and ration cards were required to be accepted.
“As far as ration cards are concerned we can say they can be forged easily but Aadhaar and voter cards have some sanctity and have presumption of genuineness. You continue accepting these documents,” the bench said.
