Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Ruprani today claimed that one of the two arrested Islamic State terrorists was working in a hospital run by senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel.
Addressing the media here, Rupani demanded Patel’s resignation from the Upper House and sought a clarification from the Congress party.
“One of the arrested terrorists was working in the multi-speciality hospital in Bharuch district’s Ankleshwar being run by Ahmed Patel. He should resign from the Rajya Sabha,” the CM said.
"If Ahmed Patel was a patron of hospital from where 2 suspected ISIS terrorists were arrested then should he be not held responsible," the added.
Rupani also sought Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's clarification on the matter.
On October 25, two suspected ISIS operatives were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which claimed that they were plotting an attack on a Jewish synagogue in Khadia area of Ahmedabad in ‘very near future’. The suspects, arrested in Surat, were identified as Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza.
Stimberwala had resigned recently as an eco-cardiogram technician in the Sardar Patel Hospital and Heart Institute in Ankleshwar, which Patel had helped grow into a modern facility. Patel was one of the trustees during the hospital's formative years as a modern hospital and the only one in the entire Bharuch district with latest equipment and technology with facilities for heart surgery. He had resigned as a trustee in 2014 facilitating a new board of trustees to take over the facility.
Ahmed Patel rubbishes charge
Meanwhile, the Congress has rubbished the Rupani’s claims and accused the BJP and the CM od trying to hide their incompetence by making such baseless statements.
Ahmed Patel, in a series of tweets, said the allegations by the BJP were completely baseless.
"My party and I appreciate the ATS's effort to nab the two terrorists. I demand strict and speedy action against them."
"We request that matters of national security should not be politicised keeping elections in mind," he said and also urged: "Let's not divide peace loving Gujaratis while fighting terrorism."
One of the trustees, Jayesh Patel, clarified that Stimberwala had joined the hospital six months ago, after having worked with Wockhardt and a couple of other hospitals.
"He had resigned on October 4 and relieved on October 24 according to his service conditions. He had said that he was leaving due to a better opportunity," he said.
