Ahmedabad:
Gujarat Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal has asked Narendra Modi how much money was spent on his anything-but-austere
Sadhbhavna fast last weekend.
In what could lead to another confrontation between Gujarat's Governor and Chief Minister, Dr Beniwal acted on a memorandum by former BJP man and president of the Maha Gujarat Janata Party, Gordhan Zadafiya, asking her to seek details under the rules of business of the House. Mr Zafadiya is a former Home Minister of the state and recently fell out with Mr Modi and formed his own political outfit.
Dr Beniwal has written to the Additional Chief Secretary of the state's general administration department for details of expenditure on the three-day event, held in an air-conditioned hall at the Gujarat University, which rents at Rs 5 lakh a day.
Mr Modi's fast for cultural amity was a political show of strength. He sat on a massive stage, there were 6000 chairs laid out, and crowds of people and a galaxy of political stars thronged the venue. Other political parties have alleged that crores were spent on the three-day event. The Congress' Shankarsinh Vaghela, who had launched a less flamboyant counter-fast at the Gandhi Ashram six km away, was vocal from the first day on, alleging that government money was spent on the lavish Modi show.
Buoyed by what he called the success of the fast, Narendra Modi upped the ante yesterday as he followed up last week's show with a big rally on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. He lashed out at the Congress accusing it of conspiring to dislodge his government through the Raj Bhavan, the state Governor's residence, and said he had called the rally to protest against "the conspiracy" against his government.
"You (the Congress), for the last three years, have used the Raj Bhavan to make a back-door entry to run a parallel government" in the state," Mr Modi said, while addressing the rally.
The Modi government and Governor Beniwal have publically been at loggerheads since the latter appointed Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta, bypassing the state government. The Modi government has challenged the decision in the High Court. Dr Beniwal has returned five Bills passed by the state Assembly in the last three years.