Former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela joins NCP, calls BJP government 'cruel, corrupt'

AHMEDABAD: Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela on Tuesday joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and termed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government as "cruel, corrupt and conspirator".

Vaghela joined NCP in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar.

“People of Gujarat have given me immense love and I want to give it back to them, that is why I am joining NCP. In coming times I can see an anti-BJP government, similar to UPA-3 in the country. In this, we want to play whatever role possible. The current government is cruel, corrupt and a conspirator. They say nothing but lie and people are exhausted with this government,” said Vaghela on Tuesday.

Attacking the government further, he said, “Youth is unemployed, women are insecure, farmers are committing suicide and business community has been destroyed by demonetisation. To save the democracy and to save the people from BJP rule, I have decided to join NCP".

Alleging that BJP is trying to kill democracy, he said: “Independent institutions like Parliament are amending Constitution within a day. Parliament, be it Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, has been reduced to non-entity. Supreme Court judges have said that things are not right. Things are well known about CBI, ED, CVC, EC and CAG. There is a conspiracy by BJP to kill democracy in the country".

In October 2018, Mahendrasinh Vaghela, son of former Gujarat chief minister and ex-Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela, resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a letter to state BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani, Mahendrasinh had said that he was resigning from the party due to some "personal reasons".

Mahendrasinh, who was a Member of Legislative Assembly of the Congress party, joined the BJP in July 2018 in the presence of party president Amit Shah.