Bajrangi sets first task as Sainik: Rename Ahmedabad as Karnavati

Ahmedabad Newsline / The Indian Express
Friday , June 29, 2007

ON CONTESTING POLLS, SAYS ‘IT’S BALASAHEB’S CALL’; ‘UNLIKE VHP & BD, SENA NEVER DISOWNS WORKERS’
Bajrangi sets first task as Sainik: Rename Ahmedabad as Karnavati
Express News Service

Ahmedabad, June 28: FROM Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to Shiv Sena, Babubhai Patel alias Babu Bajrangi, has steadily put on more pronounced political shoes after shifting his allegiance on Wednesday, albeit not without bitterness.

Spitting venom against his former mentor Pravin Togadia and VHP, Bajrangi in his new avatar appeared more hostile towards the Sangh Parivar than his perceived ‘threats’ to Hindutva.

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Speaking to Express Newsline here on Thursday, Bajrangi, who had just returned from Mumbai did not in any way try to hide his ire against Sangh Parivar. “After working for the VHP for 22 long years, they simply washed their hands off me,” said Bajrangi. “That doesn’t in any way mean I will stop working for the cause of Hindutva,” he said adding that his Navchetan trust will continue their work of rescuing strayed Hindu girls. “However, our first endeavour will be to mobilise a movement for changing the name Ahmedabad to Karnavati,” he added.

“Instead of working as a Bajrang Dal person, I would now be a Shiv Sainik, that’s all,” said he adding that while VHP and Bajrang Dal steered clear of him after the Supreme Court issued notice to him, Sena stood by him and that was one of the reasons behind his joining the party. “Let me tell you, never in the history of Shiv Sena, will you find any instance where Sena have disowned their workers after they carried out their duty, unlike VHP and Bajrang Dal,” Babu said.

“While they accused me of promoting casteism on number of occasions, what did Dr Praveen Togadia do?” Babu asked. “He had no qualms in scoring brownie points from the Kadva Leuva divide and in fact sat among the Leuvas at the Surat Patel meet. He even did not have any problem to share seat with the Congress as well,” Babu said. “That’s their brand of Hindutva,” he added. “It is about time that Dr Togadia quits VHP and goes back to his medical practice, as he has no moral right to represent Hindus,” said Bajrangi.

It may be noted here that Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray had on Wednesday announced a five-member committee to organise the affairs of Sena in Gujarat. Apart from Bajrangi, Jimmi Advani, Umesh Engineer and Deepak Joshi were made the members of the committee, while Amit Parikh has been made the president of the same.

Commenting on his alleged role in stopping the screening of the film Parzania, Bajrangi said he did stop the screening, as that was against the interest of Hindutva. “But in the process my name was also greatly misused,’ he added.

However, with the new shift of allegiance, Bajrangi sounded aggressively focused on building up the Shiv Sena network in the state. “We’ll raise Sainiks in every locality, in a very short time,” he said.

Interestingly, he left the questions pertaining to his contesting in the forthcoming assembly elections open. In characteristic politicianspeak, Bajrangi left the decision to the Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. “Right now my job is to organise and strengthen the Sena in Gujarat, and I will concentrate on that,” he said. “So far as elections and contesting are concerned, Balasaheb will take the call,” he added.