Finally, ‘sulking’ minister Meena shows up at hotel in Jaipur

JAIPUR: ‘Sulking’ food and civil supplies minister Ramesh Meena finally showed up at the hotel where Congress legislators have been camping for the last one week prior to the Rajya Sabha elections on June 19. The MLAs were shifted to a hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur on allegations of horse-trading by the BJP. But Meena had been defying the orders of the party leadership.
Meena reached the hotel on Tuesday at around 4pm. Talking to media outside the hotel, he said, “I had some demands in general and some issues related to the people. I have apprised it to the party leadership and the same has been conveyed to the Central leadership.”
However, he refused to disclose those issues. “I will tell you when the demands are met.”
Replying to a question on horse-trading and big money being offered to legislators, Meena said, “I am not aware of such offers.”
Meena, who belongs to Sachin camp, has been complaining of sidelining by the chief minister and domination of bureaucracy in their departments.
The Congress leaders have been maintaining that they were in touch with the minister who refused to shift to the hotel on the directions of the party leadership.
Party observer and deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh T S Singh Deo had warned the minister of not to breach the line.
Meanwhile, for the MLAs, it is a time for education and entertainment at the hotel. On Tuesday, noted journalist and writer Piyush Babele took lessons on the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru and Patel and their cordial relations unlike it is being propagated by the Sangh Pariwar.
In the evening, they played cricket and football followed by cultural programmes.