Teesta Setalvad Backed by Sonia Gandhi Attempted to Destabilise Modi Government in Gujarat: SIT

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, July 16: The Gujarat police has claimed that the social activist Teesta Setalvad was acting at the behest of the now deceased Congress leader Ahmed Patel to “destabilise” the then Gujarat government headed by the present prime minister Narendra Modi but the ruling BJP said Patel’s was “only a name” and the actual “driving force” behind Setalvad was the Congress national president Sonia Gandhi.

Even as both the Congress and the family refuted the allegations against Patel accusing the BJP of trying to tarnish the image of a deceased leader to get the name of Modi cleared of charges of inciting communal hatred during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The party also rejected the claims of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Gujarat police stating that it was only “dancing to the tunes of its political masters” and would dish out whatever it was told to do.

While opposing the bail application of Setalvad and the former Gujarat additional director general of police RB Sreekumar, the SIT of the Gujarat police investigating the charges against the social activist and some former IPS officers in an affidavit on Saturday claimed that Teesta was working at the behest of Patel to “destabilise” the then state government headed by Modi.

Ahmed Patel, who died two years ago, plotted against Modi with Setalvad following the 2002 Gujarat riots, the state police said in its charge. The case will be heard on Monday next. The Congress immediately lashed out at the charges against Patel, who used to be a close aide of party chief Sonia Gandhi, calling the charges “part of the Prime Minister’s systematic strategy to absolve himself of any responsibility for the communal carnage unleashed when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002.”

Setalvad has been arrested, along with Sreekumar and another former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame people in the Gujarat riots cases. “The political objective of the applicant (Setalvad) while enacting this larger conspiracy was dismissal or destabilisation of the elected government… She obtained illegal financial and other benefits and rewards from rival political party in lieu of her attempts to wrongly implicate innocent persons in Gujarat,” the Gujarat Police panel said.

It cited the statements of a witness to allege that the conspiracy was carried out at the instance of Ahmed Patel, who channelled ₹ 30 lakh to Ms Setalvad after riots. The activist used to meet the leaders of a “prominent national party in power at that time in Delhi to implicate names of senior leaders of the BJP government in riot cases” and hanker for a Rajya Sabha seat, the police claimed.

The Congress slammed the Gujarat Police’s accusations, saying “The Prime Minister’s political vendetta machine clearly does not even spare the departed who were his political adversaries.”

Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel also dismissed the SIT’s claim. “I guess his name @ahmedpatel still holds weight to be used for political conspiracies to malign d opposition. Why during UPA years @TeestaSetalvad was not rewarded & made Rajya sabha membr & why the center uptil 2020 did not prosecute my father for hatching such a big conspiracy,” she tweeted.

The police stated in the affidavit that Ms. Setalvad, who received money as well Padma Shree award, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt were part “of the larger conspiracy” to destabilise and dismissal of the elected government by fabricating evidence to implicate top functionaries of the state with regard to the communal riots.

It is stated in the affidavit that Ms. Setalvad “had met Ahmed Patel with Sanjiv Bhatt” at his Delhi residence. The police also claimed that Ms. Setalvad was also seeking a Rajya Sabha berth for herself while fighting a legal battle against the state government in the name of justice to the victims of the communal riots. “There was conspiracy to malign the image of Gujarat and that was hatched at the behest of late Ahmed Patel,” the affidavit stated.

On the Padma Shree award conferred on Ms. Setalvad, the police affidavit stated that it was meant “for malicious and vexatious prosecution” of the State functionaries of Gujarat. The police have also accused her of “misappropriation of funds” collected in the name of justice to the riots affected people.

The BJP, however, in its usual style dragged the names of the Gandhis and alleged that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the “driving force” behind the “conspiracy” to implicate Modi. “Patel is just a name. The driving force behind this conspiracy was Sonia Gandhi. We want Sonia Gandhi to hold a press conference and address the nation as to why she was conspiring against Modi,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a news conference.

Patra claimed that the late Ahmed Patel, who was Mrs Gandhi’s political adviser and a leading Congress leader, was just the medium through which she acted to destabilise the BJP government in the state and damage Modi’s political career.

The ruling party’s attack on her came a day after the Gujarat police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) opposed arrested activist Teesta Setalvad’s bail application and claimed in an affidavit before a court that she was part of a “larger conspiracy” hatched by Patel to get the state government dismisses in after the 2002 riots.

Defending Patel, the Congress claimed earlier in the day that the charges levelled against him are part of PM Modi’s “systematic strategy to absolve himself of any responsibility for communal carnage” unleashed when he was the chief minister.

Hitting back, Patra termed the Congress’ statement as mischievous and asked if the Supreme Court had also acted under “pressure” when it had slammed Setalvad and other accused for their “ulterior designs” and called for them to be put in the dock, leading to registration of a case and their arrest by the Gujarat police. Citing the SIT affidavit, he claimed that Ms Setalvad was given ₹ 30 lakh for personal use by Patel. “Patel only delivered the money. Sonia Gandhi gave it,” he alleged.

Patra noted that Setalvad, who has been pursuing Gujarat riots cases, was given Padma Shri and also made a member of the National Advisory Council when the Congress-led UPA was in power. Sonia Gandhi was behind this as she was happy with her work, he alleged. “Patel is just a name. The driving force behind this conspiracy was Sonia Gandhi,” he claimed.

Patra cited the Gujarat High Court’s observations that Setalvad misappropriated funds meant for riot victims for personal use, including wine and holiday resorts, to hit out at her. The truth in the entire case has revealed itself, Patra said, adding the BJP does not work with a vengeance but with patience and believes in the constitutional process.

Ms Setalvad was arrested last month, a day after the Supreme Court re-affirmed Modi’s exoneration in riots. Her arrest was questioned, among others, by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) which said it was “very concerned” by it. The Indian government called the statement “completely unwarranted” and “an interference in India’s independent judicial system.”