Congress throws weight behind Ahmed Patel
AHMEDABAD/NEWDELHI: The BJP is turning to a “sinister conspiracy” as it fears defeat in this year’s Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress said on Saturday, countering allegations that senior leader Ahmed Patel supports the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
The counteroffensive follows Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani’s accusation that parliamentarian Patel is implicitly linked with the terrorists as a hospital run by a trust associated with the leader had an alleged IS sympathizer on its rolls.
The Rajya Sabha MP, who is Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, was a trustee of the Sardar Patel Hospital in Ankleshwar town of Bharuch district. “Rupani has resorted to making such despicable statements and conspiracy as the BJP is afraid that 6.5 crore Gujaratis are going to reject it completely. This shows the level to which the failed CM can stoop to out of fear ...” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. The party rejected the BJP’S demand for Patel’s resignation from Parliament, saying neither he nor his family are trustees of the hospital, or had any role in its administration. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram called the BJP’S demand outrageous.
“This person who was arrested seems to have joined the hospital last year and had resigned a couple of days prior to his arrest,” the former Union minister said.
“Now if somebody who has joined last year as a technician has an ISIS connect, then how is a trustee of three years ago responsible?” he asked in Rajkot.
Patel too denied the allegation and asked the Gujarat government not to politicise matters of national security for elections.
“The allegations by the BJP are completely baseless … Let’s not divide peace-loving Gujaratis while fighting terrorism,” he said. The political slugfest began after Gujarat cops arrested hospital technician Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza, reportedly a lawyer, on Wednesday and charged them with attempting to wage a war against India. They were allegedly planning attacks on Hindu temples and a Jewish synagogue.
Chief minister Rupani insisted that Patel was a trustee of the hospital and remained involved even after resigning in 2014. He also demanded an explanation from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for recruiting “terrorists”. The Congress hit back at the BJP, saying the BJP should not preach on national security.
Surjewala asked why the Bjpled Union and Maharashtra governments were clueless when fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s wife visited Mumbai and flew back to Pakistan last year.
“Is it not true that the PDP-BJP governmentinjammuandkashmir offered compensation and job to the family of (Hizbul Mujahideen commander) Burhan Wani? Isn’t it true that the state government made Asiya Andrabi, involved in anti-india activities, ambassador of Beti Bachao campaign?” he asked.