Ahmedabad, 4 June 2013

Gujarat Congress today issued a statement clarifying purpose of Union Minister Dinsha Patel’s visit to Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi last week.

The statement says that Shri Dinsha Patel spoke to Gujarat Congress President Shri Arjun Modhwadia over a phone call and expressed sad feeling over political speculations fueled by Gujarat Chief Minister’s office after his meeting with Chief Minister last week in Gandhinagar for some work regarding Sardar Patel Memorial Trust.

According to the statement, Shri Dinsha Patel told Arjun Modhwadia that Congress party and the people of Gujarat have given him unmatched honor and respect as Congress worker. Shri Dinsha Patel told Arjunbhai that he never aspired for anything more than what he has already received. Dinsha said his nature doesn’t allow him to get anything through saudabaji.

Dinsha said he has been in politics maintaining values of Gandhi and Sardar. He clarified that his meeting with Chief Minister Narendra Modi had no connection to politics.

Author’s note: Why Congress had to clarified this?

When Dinsha Patel met Chief Minister Shri Modi, section of media described the meeting as political one and hinted possibility of Dinsha’s induction in BJP. None of the media persons contacted Shri Dinsha and sought clarification while publishing the speculative stories. DeshGujarat spoke to Dinsha next morning and published the details of content of the meeting with Mr. Modi. The matter was over at this point.

However couple of days back a leading Gujarat daily who is not in very good terms with Dinsha, published a story that after meeting the Chief Minister, Dinsha and Chief Minister Narendra Modi both visited RSS headquarters of Gujarat in Ahmedabad in simple car without any police protection.

This story according to details available to us was not true. As soon as Dinsha Patel finished his meeting with Mr. Modi, DeshGujarat tried to contact him on phone. Dinsha doesn’t keep mobile phone. DeshGujarat contacted his office in Nadiad. The office person told that Dinsha was scheduled to meet Chief Minister and later would catch a flight to Delhi. DeshGujarat contacted Dinsha’s assistant in Delhi who told that Dinsha was in flight and would arrive in Delhi at around 10.00 pm. He would be available at his Delhi home phone number to speak post 10.00 pm. DeshGujarat dialed Dinsha at 10.00 pm, but his assistant told that he was in rest and would speak next morning. We could speak to him next morning on phone. Thus the story of Dinsha visiting RSS headquarter that evening was not true. The story was published in only one newspaper, but as it is the leading newspaper, speculations again were in the air, and Gujarat Congress had to issue a clarification. However the clarification doesn’t mention the RSS headquarters visit part.

Logically speaking Dinsha is enjoying Cabinet ministry in centre. He is the only Cabinet minister in UPA-2 from Gujarat. Why would he leave all the privileges and positions and flirt with BJP CM? On one side is power, position and privileges and what lies on the other side? Nothing at this juncture. If speculations are about his future political choices, well in that case he doesn’t need to meet Mr. Modi openly in Modi’s office in secretariat!

The charge made by Gujarat Congress in its statement that Chief Minister’s office is fueling speculation is inappropriate.Chief Minister’s office doesn’t seem in such business. If at all it was in such business, such speculative stories could be all over in newspapers and TV channels and not in one newspaper.