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Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
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Bandh against attack on Mayor

Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: A two-hour bandh on Wednesday evening evoked a mixed reaction in trade and commercial circles in Jamnagar, the call for which was given by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest against the murderous attack on mayor Manharbhai Jhala, allegedly by a group of Congress workers on Tuesday. Several hundred BJP workers also joined a two-hour protest dharna in the city.

Mayors of several other municipal corporations in Gujarat, including the mayors of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Junagadh, also joined the dharna and severely condemned the attack. State BJP president Purshottam Rupala described the attack as an expression of the frustration of the Congressmen.

A local Congress spokesperson, however, claimed that the incident was the result of an internal squabble within the BJP. He pointed out that the mob, which allegedly threw some crude oil on Mr. Jhala, was led by two former members of the BJP. Even in his police complaint, Mr. Jhala named the former BJP corporator, Devshi Ahir, and the former Deputy Mayor, Govind Rathore, as the attackers.

Mr. Ahir and Mr. Rathore contested the last municipal elections as independents after they were denied ticket by the BJP, and later joined the Congress.

They had gone to the Mayor’s chamber with some complaint of pending works in some slum areas where they had some heated exchange with the Mayor and someone from the mob threw some crude oil at him.

Claiming that the crude oil was thrown to “blacken his face” and there was no intention of burning him alive as alleged by the BJP, the spokesperson pointed out that no attempt was made to light a fire.

The mob disappeared from his chamber as soon as Mr. Jhala reached for the telephone to lodge a police complaint. The police have detained 10 persons in this connection.

BJP to send team

New Delhi Special Correspondent reports:

BJP president Rajnath Singh will send a team of four party leaders to Jamnagar to report on the incident involving Mr. Jhala.

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