Former Top Cop Vanzara Garlands Sardar Patel's Statue With Pen, Toy Gun

Ahmedabad: Retired Gujarat police officer DG Vanzara - an accused in several encounter cases -- triggered a controversy in Surat today, when he had some unusual items to offer at the statue of Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel.

Invited at a programme organised by his supporters, Mr Vanzara was expected to garland the statue of Sardar Patel.

But apart from a floral garland, the former police officer offered another garland containing a pen and a toy gun, to the amazement of many.
 Later, while speaking to the media, Mr Vanzara said the offering was symbolic. A true nationalist, Sardar Patel had brought in several kingdoms under India, thus unifying it, he said.

His offering, he said, was "a symbolic way of showing how astra (weapons) and shastra (scriptures) were used for positive nation building''.

Mr Vanzara -- an accused in fake encounter cases of Ishrat Jahan and Sohrabudin Sheikh, is currently out on bail.