8 hours ago
Ex-BJP minister expresses concerns over party culture
Surat: Former Gujarat minister of state and BJP leader Nanu Vanani on Friday shared an open letter with party workers expressing displeasure at the culture within the BJP and corruption in govt.
Vanani, currently secretary of Gujarat Hira Bourse (GHB), raised concerns about alleged corruption in town planning (TP) schemes in the Katargam area of the city in the recent past and had in 2023 also written a letter to the PM alleging corruption.
Vanani was elected in 2012 and appointed minister in the 2014 Anandiben Patel govt. He was considered a Modi loyalist when there was unrest among the Patidar leadership in the BJP.
In his letter, titled 'Ethics of Destruction That Applies to Congress, Also Applies to BJP', Vanani described how the people of Gujarat prefer a stable and peaceful political party. He called it the reason for the BJP coming to power. He said that he described the reasons for dejection and alienation felt in the minds of party workers in the letter.
He further described how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working not only for the betterment of the country but the entire world.
He further shared various administrative models of govt. "It is the opinion of dedicated BJP workers that the BJP govt in the state is officer-centric, while in the Congress govt it was party worker-centric. There is a difference in corruption; in the Congress govt, it was in streets, while now it is done in offices," Vanani stated.
"Of the BJP's election promises, hunger has been eliminated while fear of anti-social elements is almost removed, however, the promise of eliminating corruption completely is yet to be fulfilled," Vanani added.
In the letter, Vanani expressed displeasure at 'readymade' leaders brought into the BJP from outside. He raised questions about their dedication to the party. Vanani described various elections and their impact on state politics in the letter. Through the description of each victory, he shared how the BJP evolved in the state since 1995 after the formation of the govt.
On the current situation, Vanani wrote, "There is a situation of any (possible) change in the current political scenario of Gujarat.
Once Congress was the strongest party, but its culture destroyed it."
Calling his letter the feelings of BJP workers, Vanani told TOI, "I wrote the open letter to share the feelings of BJP workers who are spread all over Gujarat. Many of them have shared feelings in the recent past that are the same as I described in my letter."
Vanani said he was not criticizing the party but expressing his concerns through the letter and expects leaders to think about it.
Recently, Vanani took the leadership in raising concerns about alterations to TP Schemes 49, 50 and 51, where land of residential societies where people had been living for 20 years was declared reserved.
Vanani became the GHB secretary in 2004 when the project was initiated. Later, the Gem and Jewellery Park development on 10 lakh square metres began and now 52 diamond polishing, lab-grown diamond and jewellery manufacturing units are operating there.
