MP, municipality chief face the music for garba festivities

VADODARA: Days after Election Commission (EC) laid out rules for politicians' participation in Navratri festivities, Chhota Udepur MP Ramsinh Rathwa finds himself in the dock. He is in trouble for his presence at a Navratri celebration in Dabhoi, along with six organizers which includes municipality president Bhavna Bhatt.The coordination committee for model code of conduct (MCC) has issued a notice to the MP for violating the code especially in the wake of EC's directions wherein the commission had allowed the politicians to attend the Navratri celebrations and perform aarti as "ordinary citizens" while making sure that their status of politicians was not highlighted or used to influence people.The notice comes in the wake of a verbal complaint by Dabhoi unit of Congress, which had alleged that the MP had attended the festival organized by Mahashakti Mandal held at Dabhoi college grounds as a chief guest. His name and MP status as well as his party's name was also prominently displayed in the invitation cards as well as banners put up at the pandal, Congress alleged."Two separate notices have been issued-one to the MP and the second to the six organizers, including the Dabhoi BJP leader Bhavna Bhatt, who also heads the municipality. They have been given two days to explain their side of the story," said a senior MCC committee official.However, what is implied but not stated in the notice is that the politicians can also face the music on charges of flouting another condition-that of misusing a religious platform for political purpose. "The MP did not make any political speech, but his name and banners as BJP MP should not have been put up at a religious congregation," an official pointed out.More trouble for Jayesh PatelVadodara: Meanwhile, after an FIR was lodged against Congress leader Jayesh Patel for violating the code of conduct by distributing sarees, the model code of conduct (MCC) monitoring committee of Vadodara district has issued another notice to him. This time the complaint is about misuse with regard to an educational institute being run by him at Limbda village.The action comes on a complaint filed by Waghodia MLA from BJP, Madhu Shrivastava, who had represented to the district collector, saying Jayesh was forcing students of his institute to campaign for Congress. The MLA had also reiterated his allegation that the Congress leader was continuing with his saree-distribution programme at Waghodia even after the filing of FIR against him on charges of bribing the voters."We have asked the Congress leader to respond to the complaint within 24 hours of receiving the notice. A decision would be taken on the MLA's complaint after we receive the reply," said a member of the monitoring committee.