New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday strongly refuted a Special Investigation Team’s allegations against senior party leader Late Ahmed Patel, that he had hatched a conspiracy to destabilize the Gujarat government, led by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, after the 2002 riots.
The denial came after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Gujarat police on Friday contended before the court that activist Teesta Setalvad was a part of a “larger conspiracy” that was carried out at the behest of Ahmed Patel to falsely implicate “innocent” people in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The SIT made the claim while opposing the bail application of activist Teesta Setalvad.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress in its statement said the allegations against Ahmed Patel were a “part of the Prime Minister’s systematic strategy to absolve himself of any responsibility for the communal carnage unleashed in 2002 when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
“The Prime Minister’s political vendetta machine clearly does not even spare the departed who were his political adversaries,” the statement read.
The Statement further said, “Giving judgment through press, in an ongoing judicial process, through puppet investigative agencies who trumpet wild allegations as supposed findings, has been the hallmark of the Modi-Shah duo’s tactics for years. This is nothing but another example of the same, with the added object of vilifying a deceased person since he is obviously unable and unavailable to refute such brazen lies.”
Statement Issued by @Jairam_Ramesh , General Secretary In- Charge, Communications, AICC pic.twitter.com/vZo55UcDcN
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 16, 2022
Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel also dismissed the probe team’s claim. She expressed herself through a tweet, she said “I guess his name @ahmedpatel still holds weight to be used for political conspiracies to malign d opposition.Why during UPA years @TeestaSetalvad was not rewarded & made Rajya sabha membr & why the center uptil 2020 did not prosecute my father for hatching such a big conspiracy.”
“She was part of a “larger conspiracy” carried out at the behest of late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel to dismiss the BJP government in the state after the 2002 riots.”.
An affidavit filed by the police’s Special Investigation Team before the sessions court read.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel died in 2020 following Covid-19 complications.
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