Ahmed Patel says youth with Islamic State ties worked at hospital inaugurated by PM Modi

Congress leader Ahmed Patel (Express Photo/Renuka Puri/File)

Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel on Wednesday said the Gujarat youth arrested on suspicion of having links with the Islamic State had worked at a hospital instituted by BJP leaders. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Gujarat, he added that the hospital had been inaugurated by the Prime Minister. His remark comes days after Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani accused him of “managing” the hospital which employed the youth. Rupani had said Patel should explain the circumstances behind employing the youth and had sought Patel’s resignation.

“BJP is talking about terrorism; Congress leaders have suffered because of terrorism,” Patel said, while addressing a rally in Jambusar. “I conducted a research. He worked in hospitals instituted by BJP leaders. Care Hospital where he (the suspect) worked was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.” Beyond the news: How the BJP is using the ‘case’ against Ahmed Patel, to outsmart the Congress

“The BJP is asking for my resignation from the Rajya Sabha because they are nervous. I won the seat due to our MLAs… let the judiciary take a call in the case,” Patel, who is the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, added.

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Last Saturday, Rupani, in a meeting at the BJP headquarters in Koba, Gandhinagar, had said, “Ahmed Patel is the person running the show at the hospital in Bharuch where (the suspect) was employed. Patel was earlier a trustee of the hospital from which he resigned in 2014. However, he continued to run the show at the hospital where President Pranab Mukherjee was invited to inaugurate the premises in 2016.” Hospital says no ties with Ahmed Patel

Last week, the ATS arrested Ubed Mirza, 29, and Kasim Steamerwala, 31, for allegedly plotting to carry out an IS inspired lone-wolf terror attack on a synagogue in Ahmedabad.