Congress leader Ahmed Patel attacks Gujarat CM for linking him to IS operative

Of the two Islamic State sympathisers arrested by Gujarat ATS, one was learnt to be an employee of a hospital in Bharuch that Ahmed Patel was associated with.

Congress veteran Ahmed Patel on Wednesday tore into Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani for linking him with a suspected Islamic State (IS) operative, asserting that it was unbecoming of a head of the government to stoop this low and the BJP had no right to speak of terrorism.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel after casting his vote for the Rajya Sabha election at the secretariat in Gandhinagar in August. (PTI file)

“BJP speaking of terrorism?” he asked, and referring to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, said “Congress leaders have suffered the most because of terrorism.”

Speaking at a public meeting here, which was later addressed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Ahmed Patel said, “We don’t need lessons in nationalism from the BJP. They should look into themselves.”

He said, “It was unbecoming of a chief minister to stoop so low (to cast outlandish aspersions on him).”

Patel was referring to a suspected IS operative arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad late last month from Surat who had earlier worked as a technician at a charitable hospital in Ankleshwar where Patel was a trustee over three years ago.

Patel said, “I conducted a research. He worked in hospitals instituted by BJP leaders. Care Hospital where he (the IS suspect) worked was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.”