Gujarat Congress leader and MLA Alpesh Thakor, who according to reports was involved in instigating violence against non-Gujaratis, will be sitting on a ‘Sadbhavna Upvas’, to establish “peace and harmony”.
I am doing ‘Sadbhavna Upvas’ because the image my Gujarat is being maligned.There is no place for violence in Gujarat. No body was attacked here, the environment has been vitiated due to social media.We neither support regionalism nor will take it forward: Alpesh Thakor, Congress pic.twitter.com/ORWm6uChBs
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2018
He accused social media of creating panic among non-Gujaratis in the state. He also said that he doesn’t support regionalism.
We had reported some speeches in which Alpesh Thakor was heard saying “all these outsiders who come here, they commit a crime here which has led to an increase in gundagardi”. He had also issued a deadline for all non-Gujaratis to leave the state. He and his Thakor Sena is demanding for 80% reservation of jobs for local people and attacking establishments that employ people from other states. Members of Congress have been caught giving deadlines to leave the state or face consequences.
This had caused an exodus of migrant workers from Gujarat to their respective native states. According to reports thousands of people have already fled the state. CM Rupani had later, assured all migrant workers of safety and had called for their return.
Earlier Alpesh Thakor had made another bizarre claim regarding the exodus of non-Gujaraties from Gujarat. He had said that people from other states were leaving Gujarat for Chhath puja. Fact is this year the Chhath puja is in the second week of November, and people have started leaving Gujarat in the first week of October, means if they don’t return till the puja, they will be not attending work for at least one and a half month. Which private sector industry grants such long leave to so many people? Even for vendors and shopkeepers, it is a very long absence from their business which will seriously hamper their earnings.
Many members of his Thakor Sena have been arrested by police in relation to the violence that ensued in Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts, following reports of rape of a baby girl by the migrant worker from Bihar. Alpesh Thakor had demanded the release of all people arrested.
Congress has defended Alpesh Thakor’s acts and has taken no action against him, even days after allegations surfaced.
