BJP, Congress spar over Ahmed Patel’s links with ISIS operative

Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is in the eye of a political storm after Gujarat ATS arrested two suspected Islamic State operatives from Surat for allegedly planning terror attacks. One of them was Kasim Stimberwala, who worked as a laboratory technician at Sardar Patel Hospital in Ankleshwar town of Bharuch district with which Patel had been associated as a trustee. 

“Patel has deep relations with the hospital since 1979. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi owe an explanation to the people (on this issue),” Union minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters in New Delhi. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani had on Friday sought the resignation of Patel from the Rajya Sabha.

“This is a serious issue, as a terrorist was arrested from a hospital which is being run by Ahmed Patel... Patel, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress must come clean on the issue. We also want Patel to resign as Rajya Sabha MP,” Rupani told a press conference. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was in Gujarats Rajkot, today called Rupanis demand “outrageous”.