The support from newly appointed state Congress in-charge Rajiv Satav and others to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar gave an opportunity to the ruling BJP to claim again that Congress supports elements opposed to Sardar Sarovar Dam, which it says is a lifeline for Gujarat.
Satav was in Ahmedabad to attend a function where Amit Chavda took over as new president of Gujarat Congress. Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani backed Satav for ‘supporting’ Patkar.
“I am thankful to Medha Patkar for her anti-Narmada Dam agitation of 2017. Her agitation benefited Gujarat. Satavji has done the right thing by supporting Medha Patkar,” Dhanani told reporters on Wednesday. Dhanani also praised Patkar for taking up the cause of those ousted by the dam.
But Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the statements of Congress leaders exposed their relationship with Patkar, who he said had worked against the interests of Gujarat.
“The Sardar Sarovar Dam project got delayed due to Patkar. Congress stands exposed as its leaders are supporting the anti-Gujarat Medha Patkar openly. This reveals that there is a relationship between the Congress and Patkar who had worked for so many years so that tje project remains hanging,” he said, adding that the project materialized only because of PM Narendra Modi.
Chavda, however, launched a counterattack by saying that BJP was raising non-issues to divert people’s attention from “failures” of the state and central governments on various fronts.
