Smriti evades visit to jail

Smriti evades visit to jail
By: M K Tayal
April 18, 2006

Smriti Irani after her 'arrest'. Pic: Rajeev Tyagi New Delhi: Since April 7, hundreds of BJP workers have been taking part in the jail bharo andolan to protest the sealing and demolition of shops. But yesterday even as 109 workers from the Chandni Chowk area went to Tihar jail, BJP workers complained that the TV actress and party member Smriti Irani avoided being bundled off to jail. Instead she chose a court arrest — signed documents that indicated she had taken part in the demonstration, and was summarily released. "When Sushmaji (Swaraj) could make time, why not Smriti Irani? It shows the degree of involvement," said a leader. BJP's Delhi president Dr Harsh Vardhan said, "It was a notional court arrest. Smriti had to campaign in Tamil Nadu."

Onlookers, BJP activists, scribes throng Hinduja Hospital

Mumbai, April. 22 (PTI): A battery of BJP workers, media personnel, senior police officers and curious onlookers descended on Hinduja Hospital in Mahim, where BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan was admitted after being shot at this morning. Flurry of activity outside the hospital building increased through the day as the news filtered in among the BJP and media circles and towards the afternoon police were having a tough time controlling the crowd. Mahajan's brother-in-law and leader of Maharashtra BJP Gopinath Munde, who stays in the same building rushed him to the hospital this morning, after which a steady stream of political leaders poured into the premises. Hundreds of BJP workers made a beeline for the blood donation camp at the hospital on hearing that Mahajan was in need of B+ blood.

BJP leaders Vinod Tawade, Jawantiben Mehta, Venkaiah Naidu, MLC Madhu Chavhan, television actress Smriti Irani, Maharashtra Minister Chaggan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Manohar Joshi as well as top police officials visited the hospital.