Congress leaders stage a dharna at the resort. (Express photo by Chirag Chotaliya)

The manager and owner of a resort in Rajkot, where Gujarat Congress MLAs and party leaders have been camping, were booked for opening the premises in violation of the notification to keep such establishments closed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resort is reportedly owned by Indranil Rajyaguru, former Congress MLA from Rajkot (east) constituency.

Manoharsinh Jadeja, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of Zone-II of the city said, “According to notifications of the Central government, such establishments would be allowed to open from June 8. We have registered a case under IPC Section 188. No one has been arrested so far. We shall investigate, summon them, seek their reply and if warranted, will arrest them.”

The move comes after the leaders held a dharna on the premises of Neels City Resort demanding waiving of electricity bills and property taxes as well as to direct private schools not to charge “exorbitant” fees.

Congress MLAs and leaders attend CLP leader meeting ahead of Rajya Sabha Election after two party MLAs gave their resignation to Gujarat Assembly Speaker, at Congress party headquarter in Ahmedabad, Thursday, June 4, 2020. (PTI Photo)

Led by senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia and Congress Legislature Party leader Paresh Dhanani, 18 Congress MLAs staged dharna under the party’s ‘Bolshe Gujarat’ (Gujarat will speak up) campaign at the resort near the Saurasthra University on Sunday. Party leader Hardik Patel, Khambhaliya MLA Vikram Madam, Dhoraji MLA Lalit Vasoya, Tankara MLA Lalit Kagathara, Una MLA Punjabhai Vansh and Vashram Sagathiya, leader of the Opposition in Rajkot Municipal Corporation, joined the dharna.

“People couldn’t work due to the lockdown in view of the coronavirus pandemic… farmers could not sell their produce… people don’t have money. Therefore, we demand that government waive electricity bills and property taxes as well direct private schools to refrain from taking exorbitant fees,” Dhanani said.

The leaders started arriving in the resort on Friday night, hours after Congress MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja, resigned from the party and as MLA, becoming the 8th Opposition MLA to quit ahead of the elections to four Rajya Sabha seats in the state. Modhwadia said that all the 19 MLAs of the party, including Dhanani, arrived in the resort by Sunday. He said that the party’s plan is to keep the group of MLAs together in the resort till the Rajya Sabha elections on June 19.