After the oath-taking ceremony of Bhupendra Patel as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat on September 13, former CM Vijaybhai Rupani said that he has resigned only as an official from the chair. “I have only resigned as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, but I will continue to be the CM for people – Common Man,” said Rupani.
Vijaybhai Rupani resigned as Gujarat Chief Minister two days ago. After a tenure of 5 years and 35 days, Vijaybhai tendered his resignation to Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan on Saturday, September 11. Addressing the media, he said that he would accept whatever responsibility was given to him by the party and would proceed accordingly.
Following his resignation, comments and discussions on him and his work as Chief Minister of Gujarat started doing the rounds of social media and circles in the state. His daughter Radhika Rupani but shared a letter with him on Facebook. The letter reads:
Vijay Rupani through the eyes of a daughter
Yesterday, many political experts spoke in detail about Vijaybhai’s works and his BJP tenure. Thank you very much.
According to him, my father’s tenure started with an activist and then it was limited to the chairman, mayor, Rajya Sabha member, chairman of tourism, BJP president, chief minister, etc. Even in the heavy rains of Banaskantha, Taute, and during the pandemic Covid-19, Dad held his ground, running around to provide aid to people, everywhere.
Even today I remember that during the Kutch earthquake, my brother Rishabh was sent home with a member of the school and he went out to Rajkot to help those affected by the earthquake. Considering his nephew’s marriage as a second priority, he accepted responsibility as Bhachau’s in-charge on the second day of the earthquake. He spoke to my brother and me, one by one, explaining to us the reality of the earthquake and put us together with the people in the relief fund.
As children, we never enjoyed a Sunday racecourse or an outing at the theatre. Mom and Dad would take us to the house of any two BJP workers. This was his custom. My father was the first person to visit even before Modiji visited the premises during the terrorist attack on the Swaminarayan temple. I was taken along so that we could experience reality. Very few people will know that when the cyclone Taute and Covid-19’s catastrophe struck Gujarat, Dad woke up at 2.30 am, middle of the night, and made all the arrangements from the CM’s dashboard and constant calls. To be among the people and serve the public has been his mantra for years and constantly imbibed in the family as well.
A few simple protocols of the house that we followed include:
1. If anyone gets a call at 3 am, speak politely.
2. Anyone can come home at any time, and whether or not Dad is present, water and tea and snacks should be served to the guests.
3. Always don a simple dress and an even simpler nature.
4. First study and then have fun.
Mom and Dad also contributed a lot to our education. A Professional or Master’s degree was a must in our household. We were allowed to even think about other trivial things only after we studied and got on our feet. Today we, both brother and sister, are settled in our fields with our feet always grounded to earth – all of this is because of our parents.
Even today I remember going on a scooter with my father on the road in Rajkot and if there was an accident or quarrel somewhere on the road, my father would give the necessary instructions by keeping the scooter upright and would go to resolve the matter. An ambulance will be called. Clarity of thoughts and helping people is his nature. He was perhaps born with it.
Yesterday I read a news headline – Vijaybhai’s soft-spoken image worked against him. I have a question to ask, shouldn’t politicians have sensitivity and decency? Isn’t it a necessary quality we need in a leader? A soft-spoken image is a personality that people from all walks of life can come and meet easily. He has taken strict action whenever faced with issues of crime or defaulters. From CM dashboard to land grabbing act, love Jihad, GUJCOCA, alcohol ban is a proof of that but is walking around with a serious and heavy face all day is a sign of the same leader?
There has been a lot of discussion in our household that when politics is filled with so much corruption and with, the high prevalence of negativity in Indian politics, will a simple personality and simple nature survive? Will it be enough? But Dad has always said the same thing that the image of politics and leader has been created from Indian movies and age-old perception like thugs and selfish people. We have to change the same perception. Dad never supported sectarianism or cavalcade. That is his speciality. Any political expert who thinks that Vijaybhai’s tenure is over. In our opinion, according to the principles of RSS and BJP rather than nuisance or resistance, leaving the post easily without greed for power is more courageous than anything else !!
Jai Hind, Jai of Bharatmata
Radhika Rupani
