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Waghela launches `Shakti Dal'

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD Nov. 29. The Gujarat Pradesh Congress president, Shankarsinh Waghela, today launched his `Shakti Dal,' a new cadre of volunteers to take on the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, but without using the Congress platform.

Though Mr. Waghela had claimed on Friday that he had secured clearance from "whichever quarter necessary in the Congress high command," the launch programme had nothing to do with the Congress. Except for the presence of a handful of Congress leaders, most of them belonging to Mr. Waghela's erstwhile Rashtriya Janata Party which had merged with the Congress, neither the Congress symbol nor the party flag was displayed on the dais. The customary photograph of the party president, Sonia Gandhi, common in all party functions, was also missing. Pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel formed the backdrop.

Even in his address, Mr. Waghela did not once refer to the Congress nor did he advise the Shakti Dal volunteers to work for the party. His only counsel was that they should work for humanity irrespective of their religion, caste or creed. The only political reference in his address was that they should not seek any political post or ticket in the elections but carefully avoided mentioning the Congress organisational posts.

Mr. Waghela said he had specifically chosen the day, which is celebrated as NCC day, for the launch of the new Dal and like the NCC, the "blue boys" would also function as the "second line of defence" of the Congress. He did not elaborate. About 500 volunteers dressed in blue, with red batons in hand, who Mr. Waghela said, "would counter the trishuls of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP," participated in the launch ceremony and gave a guard of honour to the PCC president.

Most of the senior Congress leaders, including Mr. Waghela's principal detractor and the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Amarsinh Chaudhary, were either not invited or preferred to stay away from the launching ceremony. Many of the "original" Congressmen had reservations about the need to create a new force which, they felt, would encourage militancy that was alien to the Congress culture. They were in favour of rejuvenating the Congress Seva Dal and felt that the Shakti Dal would develop into a force personally loyal to Mr. Waghela rather than to the party.

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