While opposing bail for social activist Teesta Setalvad and former IPS RB Sreekumar, Gujarat Police in an affidavit has claimed that Teesta was working at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to “destabilise” the Gujarat government headed by the then CM Narendra Modi.
Click here to read/download the copy of Gujarat Police’s affidavit
The police stated in the affidavit that Ms. Setalvad, who received money as well as Padma Shri award, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt were part “of the larger conspiracy” to destabilise and cause dismissal of the elected government by fabricating evidence to implicate top functionaries of the State with regard to the communal riots.
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It is stated in the affidavit that Ms. Setalvad “had met Ahmed Patel with Sanjiv Bhatt” at his Delhi residence.
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The police also claimed that Ms. Setalvad was seeking a Rajya Sabha berth for herself while fighting a legal battle against the State government in the name of justice for the victims of the communal riots.
“There was a conspiracy to malign the image of Gujarat, and that was hatched at the behest of late Ahmed Patel,” the affidavit stated.
Teesta got ₹30 lakh from Ahmed Patel: Police
The police has cited testimony of two witnesses who have allegedly told them that “Teesta had received money in order to carry on her works to target the State government by implicating the then CM and others”. The police have claimed that she received ₹30 lakh from Ahmed Patel.
Additional sessions judge D.D. Thakkar posted the hearing on the bail application for Monday.
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On the Padma Shri award conferred on Ms. Setalvad, the police affidavit stated that it was “for malicious and vexatious prosecution” of the State functionaries of Gujarat.
The police have also accused her of “misappropriation of funds” collected in the name of justice to the riots-affected people.
Congress refutes charges on Ahmed Patel
Reacting to the Gujarat Police affidavit, the Congress on Saturday, “categorically refuted the mischievous charges manufactured against the late Shri Ahmed Patel”. This is part of the Prime Minister’s systematic strategy to absolve himself, the party’s general secretary Jairam Ramesh, said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister’s political vendetta machine clearly does not even spare the departed who were his political adversaries. This SIT is dancing to the tune of its political master and will sit wherever it is told to. We know how an earlier SIT chief was rewarded with a diplomatic assignment after he had given a ‘clean chit’ to the Chief Minister,” he added.
The attempt, Mr. Ramesh said, was aimed at vilifying a deceased person who is obviously unable and unavailable to refute such brazen lies. Patel died on November 25, 2020 of COVID-related complications.
Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel also hit out at the BJP. “I guess his name still holds weight to be used for political conspiracies to malign the Opposition. Why was Teesta Setalvad not rewarded during the UPA years with a Rajya Sabha berth? And why did the Centre until 2020 not prosecute my father for hatching such a big conspiracy,” Ms. Patel tweeted.
Later, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera hit out at the BJP for churning out conspiracy theories whenever Gujarat elections are around the corner. “During the last Gujarat election too they had made similar wild claims. They had said, that a conspiracy was hatched by a few politicians in cahoots with Pakistan at a dinner in Delhi. They claimed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also attended this dinner. But eventually, Mr. Modi had to apologise to Mr. Singh,” Mr. Khera said.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Sambit Patra alleged that Patel was just the medium while Congress President Sonia Gandhi was the driving force behind the conspiracy to destabilise the BJP government in the State and damage Prime Minister Modi’s political career. He demanded answers from Ms. Gandhi on the revelations. Mr. Patra also countered the Congress’s claim on charges being “mischievous and manufactured”. He asked if the Supreme Court had also acted under “pressure” when it had slammed Ms. Setalvad and other accused for their “ulterior designs” and called for them to be put in the dock, leading to registration of a case and their arrest by the Gujarat police.
The BJP leader said the Congress appears to be keeping various kinds of denials ready and releasing them by changing dates. (With input from PTI)
