Bhopal: Former BJP minister Kamal Patel visited state BJP office on Thursday to proffer explanation on notice issued to him. Patel had been taking potshots at the government over illegal mining issue for the past couple of weeks and had even filed a petition with the NGT. Subsequently, a show-cause notice was issued to him.
He met state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan and organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat to offer his explanation. Stating that he had not spoken a single word against the organisation or chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he asked Nandkumar about the rationale behind issuing the notice. Patel said that he was fighting against the administration in the interest of the party but the party was patronising officers and persecuting him.
Nandkumar told Patel that his remarks and statements had put a question mark on government’s intentions. He said that Patel’s utterances had also brought CM’s Narmada Yatra and his decision to ban mining in Narmada under question. Nandkumar told Patel that he would discuss the matter with the chief minister.
Bhagat told Patel that he should have stopped making adverse comments against the government after the collector, who externed his son, was removed. Patel told Bhagat that criminal cases on the basis of which his son was externed were fabricated. Patel said that he fought with his full might against Digvijaya Singh government and now his own party was persecuting and harassing him.
Nandkumar later told newspersons that the decision to ban mining from Narmada was the outcome of ‘CM’s willpower’ and had nothing to do with Patel raising the issue. He said that chief minister will take final decision on Patel. Sources said that the party had issued notice to Patel just to ensure that he stops his diatribe against BJP government in the future.
