OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, blamed for inciting attacks on migrant workers in Gujarat, claims innocence and says he is ‘deeply hurt’ by such politics.
New Delhi: Facing heat for allegedly inciting violence that has led to attacks in Gujarat against migrant workers from north India, Congress leader Alpesh Thakor Wednesday said this is a “conspiracy” and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to do a “political encounter” on him.
Expressing “deep anguish and hurt”, Thakor told ThePrint he doesn’t want to be in “such kind of politics”.
“I am a social worker, not a politician,” said the MLA from Radhanpur in north Gujarat..
Thakor, however, claimed that he has “full support” of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
The violence in the state erupted after a 14-month old girl was allegedly raped in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district by a migrant labourer from Bihar on 28 September.
‘Political encounter’
“I am completely innocent. I have always said I don’t want any violence in Gujarat. I am shocked at all that is happening,” said Thakor.
“When the incident happened, we took out a candle march and demanded the accused be punished. The government agreed to our demands, and hence, I myself said now the issue is over,” he said.
“Suddenly, around three-four days later, in what seems like a conspiracy, the issue was made to erupt again. BJP sent around 10-15 men to 30-odd areas to threaten migrants,” Thakor told ThePrint.
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“The BJP wants to do my political encounter. They can see my sangathan (organisation) is becoming strong and gaining ground outside Gujarat as well, in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc,” he added.
‘Old video’
The ruling BJP has pointed fingers at Thakor’s Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena (GKTS), alleging it has been behind the violence against migrants that has led to an exodus.
The BJP has also used a video clip that allegedly shows Thakor inciting people in north Gujarat to act against migrants to bolster its claims, demanding Congress expel the OBC leader.
Claiming that the video is “2-3 years old”, Thakor, however, said he does not believe in violence and has nothing against migrants.
“These are poor migrant workers who are themselves struggling. What would anybody gain by troubling them and making them go away?” said Thakor.
He added, “They have not done anything. The (rape) accused did not belong to any caste, class, sect, religion. He is somebody who is mentally sick. I am the only leader in the state who has appealed for peace. No other leader, not even from the BJP, has done so.”
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Anti-outsider movement
Thakor said he has always maintained that “if people from other states come to Gujarat to work, Gujaratis also go to other parts of the country and the world for jobs”.
“In the society where I live, there are around 40 houses, of which 30 belong to people who have come from other states,” said Thakor.
Thakor and his organisation had started an anti-outsider movement a few months ago, claiming Gujaratis are being deprived of jobs, and hoping to build their politics on this plank. The Radhanpur MLA, however, claims his fight is “not against migrants, but against the government’s policies”.
The issue has become tricky for the OBC leader because he is also the Congress’s co-in-charge for Bihar, and hence, cannot seem overtly anti-migrants.
Moreover, there have been murmurs even within the Congress state unit of how Thakor, who shot to prominence in 2015 and joined the party only in the run-up to the 2017 Gujarat elections, is fast becoming a burden.
“I have full support from Rahul Gandhi. I explained everything to the party here and said they can probe if they wish to,” Thakor said.