Fear in poll fever: VHP’s No 2 man in Gujarat shot at, hurt

Tension spread with the news of the attack but temperatures came down once it was known that he was out of danger. Police, however, are taking no chances and have beefed up presence in Naroda and the sensitive Gomtipur, Kalupur, Jamalpur and Dariapur areas. Police Commissioner K R Kaushik announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the assailants.

Police said that Patel, who is a pathologist, was shot at while he was heading towards his lab near Galaxy Talkies at Naroda at around 4.55 p.m. According to eye-witnesses, two young men wearing denim trousers and jackets closed in on Patel’s Indica. The pillion rider opened fire when the car slowed down at a speed-breaker near Chandra Society in Naroda Bazar. The bullet shattered the window pane before it hit Patel, who was sitting in the back seat.

Doctors at Samved Hospital said the bullet fractured Patel’s jawbone and lodged itself near the neck. ‘‘But he’s fine, he’s even talking,’’ they added. VHP leader Kaushik Mehta said doctors treating Patel had decided to summon experts from outside Gujarat to operate on him again on Wednesday morning.

According to Narendra Sanghvi, who first examined Patel, the bullet had left a 2.5 cm-wound that would involve some delicate surgery. Speaking to The Indian Express in New Delhi, Togadia said: ‘‘I squarely blame Congress leaders and secularists, whose utterances have encouraged jehadi terrorists to target Patel.’’

He linked the attack to the release of prisoners by the Congress-PDP Government in J&K, saying it had ‘‘emboldened the jehadi terrorists in Gujarat, who seem to believe that if the Congress comes to power in the state, they would also get similar treatment.’’

VHP’s Ashok Singhal said today’s attack and the recent car accident involving BJP General Secretary Rajnath Singh could not be dismissed as ‘‘mere coincidence.’’ VHP and BJP workers rushed to Samved Hospital as news of the attack spread. Among the first to arrive was BJP’s Naroda candidate Mayaben Kodnani, who is also an accused in rioting cases in Naroda.

Others who came visiting included Gordhan Zadaphia, Ashok Bhatt, MP Harin Pathak and BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee later spoke to Narendra Modi and enquired after Patel’s health. Vajpayee also asked Modi about the law and order situation in the state, sources in Delhi said.

Patel, in his early forties, has been an active VHP worker for at least half of his life. Before he started his own practice, he worked at a pathology laboratory run by Dr Vannikar, who established the VHP in Gujarat.