Modi announces dharna, Cong calls for bandh

Apr 15, 2006, 11.38 PM IST

AHMEDABAD: The Congress in Gujarat called for a bandh on Sunday and Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced a 51-hour dharna as the two main political forces in Gujarat were quick to respond to the suspension of construction work on the politically sensitive Sardar Sarovar Project.

While the BJP is sensing an opportunity here to tap the overwhelming sentiment in Gujarat in favour of the project, the state unit of the Congress will be trying to distance itself from the stand taken by the UPA government.

The fact that all the three chief ministers of BJP-ruled states were in favour of further construction of the dam, while the Congress CM of Maharashtra and the two Union ministers for water resources harped on the rehabilitation angle, is something the beleaguered Congress in Gujarat is finding hard to explain.

Gujarat Congress president Bharat Solanki said he will lead a delegation of Congress MPs from the state who will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Sunday to explain "the gross injustice being done to Gujarat". Solanki said the intention behind calling for a bandh was "to show to the people of Gujarat that the Congress is one with them on the issue of Narmada".

Modi decided to launch a 51-hour fast at the Gujarat University ground at 2 pm on Sunday, in a move which is likely to generate a lot of excitement in political circles in Gujarat, even as the Congress tries to enforce a bandh on the same day.

The BJP machinery went into an overdrive trying to mobilise support for the dharna from all the districts of Gujarat.

By evening on Saturday, many organisations had already pledged their support to the dharna programme. Prominent businessman and former president of the Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry Girish Dani said: "A lot of people like me will be by Modi's side during the dharna because we want to teach a lesson to those who are trying to jeopardise the interests of Gujarat."

source - TOI