‘Threatened’ by MLA, dulha storms municipal corporation with baaratis

RAJKOT: BJP MLA from Rajkot East, Arvind Raiyani, was at the centre of yet another controversy on Monday when a bridegroom led an entire marriage procession to the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) to lodge a complaint against him.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed at the RMC headquarters when the bridegroom Chirag, his bride and others reached there immediately after the marriage rituals were over and submitted an application against Raiyani. In the application submitted in the name of Mukesh Kakadia, the bridegroom’s father, it is alleged that the civic body had issued them a notice to clear illegal construction at behest of Raiyani.

The family alleged that they were being constantly threatened by Raiyani and his associates who demanded extortion money. “We were getting threatening calls even on the day of my marriage. We were asked to pay up or that they would raze the portion of our house. Raiyani’s men also loitered around our house using abusive language,” Chirag told media persons outside the RMC office.

The complainants live in Somnath Society on Morbi Road. “There are so many constructions in the same society that are illegal. Why does not RMC give them notice to raze them? The gate of Somnath Society and building of Raiyani’s younger brother Mahesh and his associate Dinesh Karoria are also illegal and we have submitted an application about this to the civic body. But why does RMC respond only to MLA’s application?” Kakadia submitted. He claimed that they constructed some illegal portion because the society members had allegedly constructed a gate and a small security room near their house without any permission.

RMC deputy commissioner C K Nandani said, “We had issued the notice to Kakadias to remove the illegal construction. This is not an order and they have a right to reply to the notice. I also told them that I am willing to take action against any RMC employee if he has threatened them. If someone else threatened them then it is the subject of police. According to our report, the partial construction of their house is illegal.”

When contacted, Raiyani told TOI, “There is an issue between the complainant and the society and I have nothing to do with that. Once, I tried to intervene because the society falls in my area. This is a conspiracy by certain people to malign my image.”

Later, the family also submitted an application to police commissioner Anoopam Singh Gehlot.