New Delhi: Gujarat Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is investigating charges of fabrication of evidence and conspiracy linked to the 2002 riots against activist Teesta Setalvad, retd DGP RB Sreekumar and former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, has stated in an affidavit that the accused were allegedly part of a “larger conspiracy” for “dismissal or destabilisation by hook or by crook” of the then state government, headed by Narendra Modi.
This, they have said, was done allegedly at the “behest” of the late Ahmed Patel, who was political advisor to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at the time.
Hitting out at Congress, BJP said the affidavit revealed the truth and alleged that Sonia had orchestrated the “conspiracy” to topple the BJP-led Gujarat government and that Patel was her “puppet” in the project.
“Ahmed Patel is just a name, the driving force was his boss Sonia Gandhi. Through her chief political advisor Ahmed Patel, Sonia Gandhi attempted to malign Gujarat’s image. Through him, she attempted to defame chief minister Narendra Modi. She was architect of this entire conspiracy,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed at a press conference on Saturday.
Citing the affidavit filed by SIT, Patra said Teesta and the other accused had clandestine meetings with Patel late at night. Patra also claimed that the activist had received financial help from the former Member of Parliament.
Patra alleged that Sonia awarded Teesta the Padma Shri in 2007 for her purported role in the conspiracy, and that the activist also sought a Rajya Sabha nomination.
“Sonia Gandhi would have made Teesta the Home Minister, could have given her other big post if the BJP had not come to power,” he claimed.
Congress rejected Gujarat Police’s allegations, saying they were “mischievous” and “manufactured”.
The conspiracy charge, Congress said, was Modi’s “systematic strategy” to absolve himself of any responsibility for the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002.
“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,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.
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