Jewellers flex political muscle, quit BJP

Nagpur: Amid preparations for one more round of talks between jewellers and the government, traders are trying to take on the ruling BJP on the political front also. Jewellers, like several other trading communities have been predominantly BJP supporters. As groundwork is being done for a meeting planned to be held on March 30, there are reports of jewellers across the country giving up their party membership over the budget move to impose excise duty on gold items. According to sources leading the agitation, there have been large-scale resignations from the party membership in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. A similar stance has been reported in some parts of Vidarbha too, though it has not gained much momentum in Nagpur, say sources in this business fraternity.
Nitin Khandelwal, a bullion trader from Akola and director of Gems and Jewellery Federation (GJF), said that earlier it was accepted to withdraw the strike after government assured that there will be no inspections. However, the local level businessmen say they want nothing less than total withdrawal. The government has accepted none of the alternatives proposed by the jewellers in the earlier meetings. GJF is the apex body of all local level jewellers’ associations
Khandelwal also said that campaigns have begun asking jewellers to resign from BJP membership. One of the messages doing rounds on Whattsapp is a form to declare that all their ties with the party have been severed. This is in view of elections in four states, added a source.
“There have been reports of resignations in Vidarbha too, however, since there is no prominent member of the party from Nagpur, it is not being talked about much,” said Rajesh Katkoriya, secretary, Sarafa Merchants Association.
Pravin Goyal, leader of agitating jewellers in Delhi said, “Traders who have been mainly supporters of the BJP are disillusioned now. There have been reports of jewellers quitting the party which cannot be denied.” Pankaj Arora who heads the jewellers in Uttar Pradesh said it is estimated that round 50,000 jewellers in the state have given up party membership.
He added that a large section of the fraternity has also severed ties with Gems and Jewellery Federation (GJF) which is no longer being considered as an apex body of jewellers’ associations. A new body, All India Bullion and Swarnakar Federation has been formed which is planning to hold intense agitations in the coming days. Protests like rail roko, apart from blockading parking areas in airports and highways are being planned, Arora said.
“Almost 90% of the jewellers have been BJP supporters. But the move to charge excise duty on gold items has broken their trust in the party. There have been reports of traders giving up the posts even in smaller centres like Yavatmal. The resignations may have an impact on the poll prospects of the party in states like West Bengal where every vote counts for the party,” said Nilesh Rathi of SMS Bhav, a city-based bullion rate information agency.