Ahmedabad,May 09 :AFTER the Ambanis, another battle of brothers looms large in Gujarat. On either side of the ring are chief minister Narendra Modi and his elder brother Prahlad.
Prahlad, who is the president of the 25,000- member strong fairprice shopowners’ association of the state, has decided to take on his sibling over their demands.
Prahlad threatened a statewide agitation if their demands are not met by May 15.
At a meeting of the fairprice shopowners in Surat, he had some harsh words for his brother. “ He ( Narendra) could do well to learn, if need be attend a class, on how to respond to the problems of the people,” Prahlad said.
The shopowners feel they are getting a raw deal from the government.
“ The rising prices have cut into our already meagre margins. The government should either increase the commission of the fairprice shopowners in conformity with rising prices or put them on a monthly salary of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000,” said Prahlad, who is also the vicepresident of the All India Fairprice Shopkeeper Federation.
The elder Modi is also strongly opposed to the move to saddle fairprice shopowners with the burden of doing the paperwork for the new biometric cards to be introduced in place of the existing ration cards.
“ On the one hand, you blame us for all the irregularities in the fairprice system and then make us do all the backbreaking work for it. This is unfair. The work should be done by either government employees or any other agency,” he said.
Prahlad, though, refused to drag familial ties under the spotlight.
“ He ( Narendra) is the head of the government and we are the aggrieved public, part of a system that serves the poorest of the poor. We have made a representation, he ( the government) must listen and give. There is nothing personal about it.” The association led by Prahlad had also presented the case of the fairprice shopowners before the state civil supplies minister Narottam Patel. “ We are hopeful of a favourable response. Let us see. If our demands are not met by May 15, we will launch an agitation,” Prahlad threatened.