Ahmedabad, 13 July 2012

Senior Gujarat minister Dileep Sanghani is now in mood to fight back.

The main stream media(MSM) in Gujarat – dominated by vernacular dailies – has started a movement against Dilip Sanghani. Number of stories are published almost every day against Sanghani for last few weeks alleging corruption and scams.

The media publishes stories supplied by one Nathalal Sukhadia of Amreli. While newspapers define Sukhadia as RTI activist, Sanghani says Sukhadia is Congress member. Sanghani said, “Sukhadia was Taluka panchayat member on Congress ticket from Devalia. When the seat was declared reserved, his wife stood up in the election for Congress and she is member of Panchayat at present.”

To fight back, Sanghani has chosen social media, and to some extent a TV media. Sanghani has published 10,000 booklets to tell his side of the story, and has mobilized his supporters/party workers. Sanghani has asked party workers to reach every doorstep to counter the “myths” propagated by “media mafias” and created by Congress party.

Next in Sanghani’s “go directly to the people” scheme is a rally on 16th of this month in Amreli. Sanghani’s rally will be joined by people of Amreli living in Surat too. Bus loads of Amrelians in Surat will travel to Amreli on 16th to show solidarity with Sanghani.