Idol theft: Cong to take out rally

Feb 26, 2012,

PALANPUR: The failure of police to recover the 1,500-year-old marble idol of 'Chakreshwari' Mataji', stolen from Digambar Jain temple at Umta village in Visnagar taluka of Mehsana distinct on Sunday last by some miscreants, has assumed political overtones.

Congress has decided to take out a rally on Tuesday in Mehsana to demand the resignation of minister of state for home Praful Patel over the failure of police to recover the Rs one crore worth idol even after so many days.

Congress MP from Patan Jadish Thakore told TOI that though eight days have passed since the theft took place, but there has been no progress in the case.

He said it was regrettable more for the fact that the minister belonged to Umta village yet he has so far not visited the place once.

"Congress has the habit of adding fuel to fire. It was trying to make political capital out of the issue," Mehsana district Bharatiya Janata Party president, Rishikesh Patel, who is also an MLA from Visnagar, said.

Meanwhile, Moniji Nirbhay Sagar, who is on a fast unto death for the past eight day, said, "Chief minister Narendra Modi has assured me of early recovery of the stolen idol. Until the idol is recovered and restored to its place, I will not take food. I have given up milk and juice already. I will now stop taking water too." A large number of devotees are arriving from Kalol, Ahmedabad, Palanpur and other places to the village to express their solidarity with Moniji.

Godhra train carnage victim's bust to be erected

PALANPUR: A remote village of Sabarkantha district has decided to pay tributes to a kar sevak who died in the Godhra train carnage 10 years ago, in a unique way.

This February 27, villagers of Kubadharol near Vadali will install a bust of Lakhubhai Makani, 50, who died in the Sabarmati Express train carnage in 2002, in Godhra along with 58 Hindus including women and children.

Makani was a farmer in the village and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Besides Makani, Bhimjibhai Patel, 48 of Derol village in Khedbrahma taluka had also died in the carnage.

The village has been decking up for the function. The bust made of marble from Ambaji has been made at a cost of Rs 50,000, said Jayanti Patel, Makani's nephew and activist of Vishwa Hindu Parishad

Mahendra Patel, who is organizing the programme said, nearly 2,000 people including Dharm Narayan Sharma, the secretary of VHP and several sadhus are expected to participate in the ceremony.