The Congress on Saturday stoutly refuted the allegations made by Gujarat Police that social activist Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officer R.B. Sreekumar were working at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to “destabilise” the Gujarat government headed by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The party called the charges against the late Congress leader “mischievous and manufactured”.
The Gujarat Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) had made these claims in an affidavit opposing Ms. Setalvad’s bail application before a sessions court in the State.
The police stated that Ms. Setalvad — who received money as well as Padma Shri award, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt were part “of the larger conspiracy” to destabilise and cause dismissal of the elected government by fabricating evidence to implicate top functionaries of the State with regard to the communal riots. Police claimed Ms. Setalvad was seeking a Rajya Sabha berth for herself and “also received ₹30 lakh from Ahmed Patel”.
