Come clean, stop accusing BJP: Naqvi after reports of ISIS links to Ahmed Patel

Ahmedabad: The BJP on Saturday lashed out at Congress and asked the party to 'come clean' after one of the two ISIS suspects arrested recently was working at a hospital where Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political advisor Ahmed Patel was a trustee.

"Congress must come clean, else blot on them will be larger than that for corruption", Union minister and BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said during a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday. 

He further added that "Sonia Gandhi's political advisor is attached with the hospital in question since 1979. And, then that hospital is being connected to terror. So it is natural questions will be raised." 

Naqvi said, "So far we used to say, Congress ke hath, corruption ke sath (Congress's hand supports corruption). Now people will say, Congress ka hath atankvad je sath (Congress's hand supports terrorism)."

Taking a jibe at Congress for telling that BJP is politicising the issue, Naqvi said, "Instead of taking action, Congress is busy in accusing BJP of politicising the issue. This makes Ahmed Patel even more questionable." 

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday demanded Congress leader Ahmed Patel's resignation as Rajya Sabha MP, alleging that a suspected ISIS operative arrested recently used to work at a hospital where Patel had been a trustee earlier.

Read: Gujarat CM links ISIS suspect to Cong leader Ahmed Patel, demands resignation

Patel rejected the charge as "completely baseless" and urged the BJP not to politicise matters pertaining to national security and divide the peace-loving Gujaratis.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar also said that the Congress "owes an explanation as to how a terrorist had been working there for so long".

Two suspected ISIS operatives were arrested by the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) two days ago. According to an FIR, one of the accused, Kasim Stimberwala, earlier worked as a technician at Sardar Patel Hospital in Ankleshwar town of Bharuch district.