Party youth wing raises money for MP's travel from Delhi's Tihar jail to city to condemn mention of his name in invitations to civic events
Party youth wing raises money for MP's travel from Delhi's Tihar jail to city to condemn mention of his name in invitations to civic events
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Vexed by the presumptuous optimism of the civic body, which repeatedly mentions sacked CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadiu00a0-- now cooling his heels in Tihar jailu00a0-- as chief guest for all its functions, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), a youth wing of the BJP, has decided to pour scorn in a unique way.
It organised a morcha to the municipal commissioner's office and offered a sum of money to the civic chief Mahesh Pathak.
Protest over Guest list: The Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha yesterday
submitted a memorandum to Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak
over the mentioning of city MP Suresh Kalmadi's name in invitations to
functions of the Pune Municipal Corporation;u00a0an invitation that has
Kalmadi's name on it. Pics/Jignesh Mistry
Murlidhar Mohal, the BJYM president, and Ganesh Ghosh, the general secretary, said the monetary aid was to fund Kalmadi's travel from Tihar jail to the city. "We shall come out on the roads to condemn the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), if Kalmadi's name is included in any of the civic functions," Mohal said. Mohal said that Kalmadi had already abashed the city and the country by his malpractices. "Even the CBI in the court proceedings has condemned Kalmadi.
Our protest was symbolic. In the famous 'Gandhigiri' style we gave the commissioner a bouquet of flowers and a memorandum for repeatedly listing Kalmadi's name as chief guest in civic functions in the past two months," Mohal said. "The civic chief is solely responsible for this. We are also submitting a memorandum to Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal and the PMC secretary Sunil Parkhi."
Expectedly, Pathak, sufficiently riled up by the gesture, declined the pecuniary support so 'graciously' extended by the BJYM. "I was not told about this morcha. The youth even called the media," he fumed. Pathak abruptly accepted the memorandum and went back to his chamber. Recently, Kalmadi was invited as the chief guest for the unveiling of Viththalrao Shivarkar's statue, father of former MLA Balasaheb Shivarkar.
Jatin Shinde, a graduate, said it was shameful to mention Kalmadi's name on the invite for the inauguration of Viththalrao Shivarkar's statue. "It sounds absurd. The PMC should correct its mistake first and omit Kalmadi's name henceforth," he said.
The Other Side
Sunil Parkhi, the PMC secretary, said: "The names of all elected members, including the local MP, MLAs and corporators are listed in the invitation for civic functions. This is being done as a protocol, as a government resolution has been passed regarding this. We are ready to remove anybody's name, if the Mayor gives us written instructions."u00a0 Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal said: "The issue has to be sorted out by the state government. There is no point submitting a memorandum to us. These youth should go to the state government."
Kalmadi loyalists don't give up
IN the hope of getting bail for their leader, Kalmadi loyalists in the PMC went to Delhi at least three times in the last two months for the court hearings. Kalmadi was denied bail on all occasions. "We are sure he shall get bail and come back by proving he is innocent," said a senior Congress corporator, requesting anoymity.
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