Vadodara/Ahmedabad, June 28 : Three senior ruling BJP legislators from Vadodara district came out in the open late on Wednesday evening expressing their resentment against the State government and claimed more than a dozen others were with them, hours after Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flew out the country on a six-day tour.

Three legislators, Madhu Srivastava from Waghodia constituency, Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur and Ketan Inamdar from Savli, asserted that several state ministers and the bureaucracy were not listening to them and showing a callous attitude to public representatives.

Incidentally, national 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 legislator for six terms, asserted that several other frustrated MLAs were with them and they would also 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 Tuesdays 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 officials. "The government which is trying to do best for the people, should sure have control over the bureaucracy but it appears the officials have got thick-skinned," he said.

The BJP swiftly swung in to 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 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."

 

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New Delhi, Jan 2: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre why couldn't it say its doors were open and it would consider the genuine grievances of farmers protesting over various demands, including the legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.

Further, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Centre to respond to the fresh plea filed on behalf of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal seeking direction to the Union government for implementation of the proposal, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021, after the farm laws were repealed.

"Why can't your client make a statement that it will consider the genuine demands and we are open to discuss the grievances of farmers, our doors are open? Why can't the Central government make a statement?" the bench asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta.

"Perhaps the court is not aware of various factors weighing in," he said, "therefore, right now we are confining ourselves to the issue of health of one individual. The Central government is concerned with each and every farmer."

Petitioner in-person Guninder Kaur Gill, who filed the fresh plea on behalf of Dallewal, was asked not to adopt a confrontational approach as the court had constituted a high-powered committee headed by retired high court judge to deal with various such issues.

"You are asking for compliance of the proposal. How can we direct the compliance of the proposal? You have to bring something more on record. We are issuing notice on this. But think of something. Let us not go with the confrontation… Please don't think of confrontation," said the bench.

Gill said the issue was resolved in 2021, when a proposal for the guarantee was adopted.

"The matter was already resolved into a guarantee. Last two-three lines of the proposal make it amply clear that it was a guarantee on the part of the Central government… It was a commitment and a promise on the basis of which the farmers withdrew their andolan (agitation). Now, they (Centre) cannot go back," she said.

Committee after committee were being constituted to resolve the same issues, added Gill.

The court said it had "full faith" in the committee, headed by a former judge who, in a way, had roots in the agriculture sector from both Punjab and Haryana.

"We have included experts from Punjab and Haryana, who are agriculturist, economist and professors. They are all learned, neutral fellows and their names came from both sides. Now that the committee is there, why are you not moving through a platform? We cannot directly have dialogue with the farmers. Probably, the central government, whatever may be the good or bad reasons, it is for them to take a decision," said Justice Surya Kant.

The bench directed a copy of the petition to be served upon the member secretary of the high-powered committee, which is likely to hold talks with the protesting farmers and other stakeholders on January 3.

It asked the Centre and the committee to file their responses to the fresh petition filed on behalf of Dallewal within 10 days.

Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the farmers' various demands.

The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.