Former CM Suresh Mehta has reiterated his challenge to LK Advani, to hold a public debate with him on his (Advani's) contribution to solution of the state's problems.
Former chief minister Suresh Mehta has reiterated his challenge — appeal in his own words — to the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, LK Advani, to hold a public debate with him on his (Advani's) contribution to solution of the state's problems. "If Advani doesn't respond within a week, I shall highlight the unresolved issues," he said. Mehta had first thrown the challenge about a week back.
In a talk with DNA, Mehta, who hails from Kutch, said: "I have not yet received a reply to my letter sent to Advani in the last week of March. I am sending a reminder to him and shall wait for one more week for his response. If he doesn't, I will myself publicly enumerate such issues to tell the general public that if Advani could not solve the state's problems despite being the deputy prime minister, nothing much could be expected from him even if became the prime minister as projected by the BJP."
Asked if he, too, will rejoin the BJP as his two close aides, Narendrasinh Jadeja and Gopal Dhuva, did last week, Mehta ruled it out, saying: "If I had any such plans, I would not have made the appeal to Advani. I had long back resigned from the saffron party permanently and there was no question of my returning to the BJP or joining the Congress."
When told that the district BJP, too, had charged him (Mehta) with doing nothing for the border district even though he happened to be the only chief minister from Kutch, Mehta challenged district BJP president, Tarachand Chheda, for a debate on issues pertaining to Kutch. "I am ready for a public debate with Chheda, but it should be a serious and point-wise discussion. Moreover, he should not run away from the debate midway as he had done recently on the issue of construction of check dams in Kutch," he said.
Mehta had sent the first letter to Advani on March 31. He had then told DNA: "By this letter, I am not throwing any challenge to him. What I want is to hold a public debate with me on issues relating to the state to which he (Advani) has been representing in parliament for a long time. Let Advaniji tell in the debate what way he has been helpful in solving the problems of the state."
When asked why he had sent a letter in Gujarati, Mehta explained that "Advaniji knew Gujarati very well". "Let there first be a public discussion on the state issues. The people of the state have every right to know the positive contribution of Advani to the problems of the state and this is what has led me to write this letter to Advani."
"Advaniji was deputy prime minister and therefore all the key issues of the state should have been settled positively. If this has not happened, then what way the state would be benefited in case he became the prime minister. This is the key issue in the mind of every Gujarati.''
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}