NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the driving force behind the conspiracy to implicate then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots case in the state, alleged the BJP on Saturday. Ahmed Patel was just the medium through which Sonia Gandhi acted to destabilise the BJP government in the state and damage Modi's political career, claimed party spokesperson Sambit Patra in a press conference.

Earlier, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had alleged in an affidavit, submitted against the anticipatory bail plea filed by activist Teesta Setalvad, that Congress leader Ahmed Patel had plotted against Modi in the Gujarat riots case and had given Rs 30 lakh to Setalvad.

Meantime, the Congress responded to the allegations in a harsh language. “The allegations against Ahmed Patel are part of the prime minister’s systematic strategy to absolve himself of any responsibility for the communal carnage unleashed in 2002 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. Giving judgment through press, in an ongoing judicial process, through puppet investigative agencies who trumpet wild allegations as supposed findings, has been the hallmark of the Modi-Shah duo’s tactics for years. This is nothing but another example of the same, with the added object of vilifying a deceased person since he is obviously unable and unavailable to refute such brazen lies”, said the Congress in its statement.

Setalvad, along with former IPS officers R B Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt, were recently arrested for allegedly conspiring to frame Modi following his acquittal in the Gujarat riots case. It was widely alleged to be a retaliatory action.