‘Keep politics out of national security’

Ahmed Patel writes to Rajnath Singh, seeks impartial probe

Politicians should rise above political differences in matters of national security, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel has told Home Minister Rajnath Singh while demanding an "impartial" and "objective" investigation into the arrest of two alleged IS operatives in Gujarat.

"I wish to bring to your notice the recent reports of arrest of IS (Islamic State)

operatives in South Gujarat... Matters of national security cannot be a prisoner of politics and neither should be reduced to baselessly maligning political opponents for petty electoral gains," Patel wrote in the letter dated October 28.

"We should rise above political differences in matters which involve national security. Framing terror charges must be done by law enforcement agencies and the judiciary and not by political leaders in press conferences from party headquarters.

"I call upon you...as the Home Minister of India to instruct relevant law enforcement agencies to take this investigation to its logical end in an impartial and objective manner. Your government has my unstinted support in this endeavour," said the Congress Rajya Sabha Member from Gujarat. He said that Gujarat is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and the people of the state "have a proud history" of believing in peaceful co-existence. On Saturday, the BJP had sought clarification from Congress President Sonia Gandhi over alleged links of Patel to a suspected terrorist arrested in poll-bound Gujarat.