Ahmedabad/Surat:
Former BJP general secretary and Narendra Modi's bete noir Sanjay Joshi attended a series of meetings in Gujarat on Sunday where many state party leaders apparently sidelined by the chief minister were present.
Mr Joshi, who was unceremoniously removed from the post of general secretary of BJP on the insistence of Mr 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 Mr Sheth, three former city councillors and couple of local BJP leaders were also present. According to sources, all these leaders were sidelined by the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Mr Joshi, however, did not respond to reporters' queries on Mr 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.
Mr Joshi also visited RSS headquarter in Ahmedabad and went to visit personal assistant of slain BJP leader and former Minister of State for Home, Haren Pandya. He met visited many party leaders and workers in Surat and Navsari; 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 also 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."