In an evident attempt of political show of strength keeping the upcoming Assembly polls in the State, young OBC leader Alpesh Thakor demanded Bihar-like prohibition policy in Gujarat at a rally organised by his organisation OBC Ekta Manch at the State capital Gandhinagar on Sunday.
Despite Thakor’s claim to assemble more than a million people from across the State, hardly few thousand people gathered at Gandhinagar for the rally which he termed Vyasan Mukti Mahakumbh (de-addiction mission).
During his speech he insisted the State Government to immediately implement strict prohibition laws. In case of failing to do so, he threatened, “If the Government would not consider our demands by late evening today, our workers would do ‘Gherao’ at State Assembly building on Monday. We will do fast agitation at the venue of the rally– Satyagrah Chhawani Ground situated at Sector 6 till the demands would be accepted by the Government.”
He went on to say that if the State Government would accept his demand, he
wouldn’t mind to praise it but in case the Government failed to do so, his fast agitation would continue till his death.
Thakor want the Gujarat Government to bring a stricter law, just like what Bihar Government brought recently, to deal with bootlegging menace. He has demanded punishment for selling liquor should be at least 10 years of jail and a fine of `5 lakh as well as two years of jail and `2 lakh fine for those who consume liquor.
Demanding `5000 crore annual package for OBCs in Gujarat, Thakor said that local youngsters would be given jobs in the factories being set-up in the State. Citing example of Tata Nano plant in Sanand, he claimed that Tata Motors got huge chunk of land at a token price and `40,000 crore tax waiver but the management of the company was not giving jobs to locals. “We do not require companies which are not giving job to local youth,” he reiterated.
Giving indication to form a political party, Alpesh said that if required, he would not hesitate to form political party.