The political wrangling over the arrest of BJP member and former chairman of Dudhsagar Dairy Vipul Chaudhary is refusing to die down with two political leaders announcing a convention in Mehsana on Thursday.
Former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia have been issued summons by a court in Mehsana to appear as witnesses in connection with Chaudhary’s case. Both of them in the past had recommended Chaudhary’s name as chairman of the National Dairy Development Board.
At a joint press conference in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, both the leaders alleged that the case was ruling BJP’s ploy to silence the opposition. Vaghela, a Sangh leader and a BJP member, had parted ways with the Congress five years ago. In between he had also led the famous Khajurao Rebellion that resulted in the ouster of the then Keshubhai Patel led BJP government.
There have been reports that Vaghela is planning to return to his former party.
Vaghela said that in the past then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had sought his recommendation for Dr. Amrita Patel, daughter of cooperative sector stalwart H.M. Patel. Vaghela had recommended her name.
Modhwadia told THE WEEK that the case was the ruling party’s tactics to silence the voice of the opposition.
Chaudhary and his chartered accountant were arrested in mid-September on the alleged charges of irregularities worth Rs 800 crore during his tenure as chairman of the Dudhsagar Dairy in North Gujarat.
The arrest has led to protests by Arbuda Sena, founded by Chaudhary.
A spokesperson of the Arbuda Sena, however, said that that the convention called by Vaghela and Modhwadia on Thursday is a personal programme of the two leaders and in connection with summons issued to them. Arbuda Sena leaders will attend the meeting in personal capacity, if invited, he added.
The Anjana Chaudhary community to which Chaudhary belongs to can influence 32 out of the 53 seats in North Gujarat. They are predominantly into the dairy industry.
