Modi pokes Patel again,now dangles Haj panel

Patel,a member of the Rajya Sabha,is the only Muslim MP from the state. As per existing rules,a Muslim MP and or MLA from the state must necessarily be given nomination in either the state’s Wakf Board or the Haj Committee.

Though Patel could not be contacted,state Congress leaders said it was out of question that he would accept Modi’s new offer.

State Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia said though there was nothing wrong,technically,in nominating Patel,he should have been consulted before the decision to make him a Haj panel member was made public.

Also,Modhwadia said,the post being offered to Patel was not compatible with his status.

A Congress MLA said,“What will be Modi’s reaction if he was appointed by the Centre as a member of a committee of some hospital or an educational institution in Vadnagar since he comes from that town?”

Others who have been nominated as members of the Haj Committee are Congress MLA Javed Peerzada, Mehboobali Bawa (Surat),Yunus Sheikh (Surendranagar), Ilyaskhan Pathan (Rajkot),Nazirkhan Sherjummakhan Talukdar (Raja Saheb) and Rafiq Habib Memon,both from Ahmedabad,Deen Mohammed Autha (Bhavnagar),Ahmedhusain Miya Haji Sikandaria Sayed (Rajkot),Asgar Ali Adharia (Banaskantha),Mohammed Ali A Qadri (Patan) and Ikramkhan Ibrahim Patel (Bharuch). The only female member is Salmaben Ismail Ambawala from Dahod.