Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani’s attempts to sensationalise the campaign for the upcoming assembly polls have backfired.
Already on the backfoot because of the aggressive campaign by the Congress party, Rupani on Friday had demanded Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s resignation as Rajya Sabha MP alleging that one of the two youth arrested recently for suspected ISIS links, used to work at a hospital where Patel was a trustee earlier.
However, Janta Ka Reporter is in exclusive possession of a letter that shows the Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP had resigned as a strustee from that hospital way back in September 2013. It effectively means that Patel has had nothing to do with the hospital management for over four years now.
The hospital in question too has rubbished Rupani’s claims through a detailed statement saying that there has been no links of Patel with the hospital. Patel, according to the statement from the hospital, helped as an MP whenever he was requested by the management.
The Gujarat ATS had recently arrested two individuals, lawyer Ubed Mirza, 29, and Kasim Steamerwala, 31 accusing them of planning terrorist attacks in the state.
However, contrary to Rupani’s claims, one of the men arrested was relieved by the hospital in 2016.
Analysts say that Rupani’s latest claims smack of his nervousness ahead of the December elections. His government is facing considerable anger from the voters and the saffron party is developing cold feet on the prospects of losing the elections this time around.
By creating an ‘imaginary’ story and giving it a communal colour, Rupani and his party believe that this will help them polarise the votes since the BJP is struggling to explain the uncomfortable questions on the so-called Gujarat Model.