Congress member detained for immolation threat

VADODARA: Congress member Prabhu Solanki, who is at the forefront of the agitation by residents of Sanjaynagar seeking rent due to them, was detained by the Warasiya police after he threatened to commit suicide.
Solanki had gone to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) headquarters on Monday along with some Congress functionaries and persons who were ousted from Sanjaynagar for its redevelopment. The redevelopment has hit a roadblock as the land for the project is yet to be handed over to the VMC. An inquiry regarding the scheme is also being conducted by the civic body after alleged irregularities surfaced regarding the scheme.

Police said that Solanki had claimed during his visit to the VMC that he would commit self-immolation if the rent was not paid to the residents of Sanjaynagar. In wake of the threat, Warasiya police detained Solanki on Wednesday and then released him on bail. Sources said that Solanki had stated to the police that he had not issued any such threat.

Around 1,840 families were ousted from Sanjaynagar in Warasiya and their residences were razed. The families were to be given houses in apartments to be constructed at the same site. They were also to get Rs 2,000 as rent every year, but the rents were stopped this month. The developers who had taken up the project had also written a letter to the VMC stating how some issues including those related to land were yet to be resolved and as there was no development on the project, they may have to stop paying rent.