Fielding Pragya shows BJP’s double standards: Ahmed Patel

Rajkot: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Saturday lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led government for employing ‘double standards’ when it came to fighting terrorism.
The Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat slammed the BJP for fielding a candidate, who criticized the officers who laid down their life fighting terrorists.

Patel was speaking in Rajkot in connection with BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, claiming that former Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare died in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as she had “cursed” him.

The remarks had caused a furore, forcing BJP to distance itself from them and compelled Thakur to issue an apology Friday evening.

“Our forces fought the terrorists and caught (Ajmal) Kasab alive. But what Sadhvi Pragya Thakur is doing is tagging the person (Karkare) who was martyred in that attack as anti-national. The BJP gives ticket to such (Thakur) persons?” Patel told media persons.

“This clearly shows the double standards of BJP. On one hand you talk about fighting terrorism and on the other you are criticizing those who are fighting terrorism. There is huge difference between what the BJP preaches and what it actually does,” the AICC treasurer added.

“The terrorists came to Mumbai crossing Gujarat’s sea. What was the Gujarat government doing then? On the other hand, our chief minister and Union home minister resigned after the attack,” Patel said.

Patel slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the way he ran the government at the Centre. Further on, he forecast that after May 23, when the Lok Sabha election results are announced, Modi will be ex-PM.

The senior Congress leader was confident that his party will get majority in the general election, while he forecast only 150-160 seats for the ruling BJP which might go up to 200 adding its alliance partners.

“People of all the classes including farmers, traders, small-scale industrialists and others are upset with the BJP. When the ruling government is supposed to give the account of its five years, it is asking Congress to give account of its rule,” Patel quipped.

He said that unemployment was the biggest issue faced by the country and attributed the large-scale unemployment to demonetization.

Speaking about Congress MLAs joining BJP, Patel said “I have to admit that we should have taken care at the time of allotment of ticket. Whoever has joined BJP from Congress has gone his own personal interest.”

Regarding the attack on Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who recently joined Congress, Ahmed Patel said, “It was a plan to demoralize Hardik, who is campaigning against BJP. The BJP should have countered Hardik on issues. It is not fair to attack him psychically.”

While in Rajkot, the senior Congress leader also met member of the erstwhile royal family of Rajkot Thakorsaheb Mandhatasinh Jadeja, who is with the BJP. Patel went to meet him for the first time after the death of his father Manoharsinh Jadeja, who died in September last year as he was minister in the earlier Congress government.

Patel later addressed party workers in Jamnagar and addressed a rally in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district.