Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria, who has been opposing land for Nirma cement plant, attends Youth Cong meet
Recalcitrant BJP MLA Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria, who has been opposing the state government?s decision to allot 222 acres of land for a Nirma cement plant in his constituency of Mahuva, on Friday raised the banner of revolt against Chief Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a ?fraud? who was gobbling up lands of farmers.
?Lalu Prasad to sirf chaara khata hai, parantu Narendra Modi to kisanon ki zamin khaha hai (Lalu Prasad ate only fodder but Narendra Modi devours the land of farmers),? Kalsaria said at a seminar organised, ironically, by the Gujarat Pradesh Youth Congress on the issue of environment protection.
Praising late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, the senior BJP leader who has been getting elected to the state Assembly since 1998 said he had no trust in Modi for justice for farmers of his constituency.
Having met Rahul and the union environment minister to garner support on this issue, he said, ?But I have full faith that Rahul Gandhi will help us in our struggle against the occupation of farmers? land.?
Dr Kalsaria said he had met Modi in this connection four times but to no avail. ?On two occasions, I told Modi to spare the land of farmers but he was adamant,? said the MLA, who has been spearheading a farmers? agitation for two years against the proposed cement plant that has also been allotted another 4,500 hectares of land for mining of limestone used as raw material.
Dr Kalsaria had met Rahul and Union environment minister a fortnight ago with the help of Congress leader Sanat Mehta, also a former finance minister. Rahul, according to Kalsaria, assured him of full support.
A surgeon by profession, the MLA said Modi?s vibrant Gujarat summits were nothing but a fraud. ?I am not against industry but destroying environment and human existence cannot be tolerated,? he said, adding that ?taking away land and depriving villagers of their livelihood will boost Naxal and Maoist movements?.
?Had the people of Gujarat known the fraud of Modi, they would have thrown BJP out of power,? he said.
Asked if he would resign from the BJP, Dr Kalsaria said he tried a year ago but colleagues advised him against it. ?But I don?t need to resign from BJP,? he said. Asked if he expected his expulsion, he said, ?It is for the party to decide.?
Regarding the forthcoming civic and panchayat elections, he said he planned to field candidates from an independent platform for Mahuva municipal committee and Mahuva taluka panchayat.
The MLA also announced a public meeting to be be organised on September 5 at Dukheri village in Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar district, where Nirma plans to set up the cement plant.
He said a large number of environmentalists, human rights activists and Gandhians from across the state would attend it.