Civic committee to go on Gujarat tour despite objections

Ignoring objections raised by opposition parties to the sponsored five-day ‘study’ tour to Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led civic improvements’ committee has decided to go ahead with its plan to visit the neighbouring state.

While members of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have decided to skip the tour, objecting to the inclusion of a meeting with Narendra Modi on the itinerary, members from the MNS have decided to pay for tour expenses themselves.

“We will go ahead with the trip. The idea is to only understand development work in the state and is not politically motivated,” said Dr Ram Barot, committee chairperson. Last week, HT had reported on how the 26-member committee was planning to visit temples in Somnath and Dwarka, spot lions at the Gir wildlife sanctuary and meet the party poster boy, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as part of sponsored ‘study’ tour.

Opposition party members claimed the tour was “politically motivated”. Dnyanraj Nikam, opposition leader (Congress), said, “Mumbai is ten times more developed than Gujarat. The trip is politically motivated and none of us will be participating in it.”