AHMEDABAD: The political climate in Gujarat has intensified over allegations targeting BJP Amreli MLA Kaushik Vekaria. Former Congress MLA Pratap Dudhat has accused BJP leaders of falsely branding a Patidar woman as a criminal, arresting her at midnight, and parading her publicly—claims which he attributes to a BJP leader’s ego.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Sanjay Kharat has defended the action, citing adherence to due legal process, while BJP clarified the incident was part of a reconstruction exercise.
A fake letter targeting BJP MLA Kaushik Vekaria has further ignited the controversy in Amreli district. The letter, which went viral on social media, accused Vekaria of accepting bribes for illegal activities, including sand and liquor smuggling. It was allegedly crafted using a forged letterhead of Amreli Taluka Panchayat President Kishore Kanpariya and bore a falsified signature, adding fuel to the political storm.
The accusations caused significant unrest within the Amreli BJP, leading to dissatisfaction among party workers. In a show of support, nearly 100 leaders and Vekaria’s supporters escalated the matter to Gujarat BJP President C.R. Patil in Gandhinagar. Kishore Kanpariya subsequently filed a formal complaint at Amreli City Police Station, calling for strict action against those responsible for the fake letter.
Following the complaint lodged on 28 December, police arrested four suspects, including the prime accused, former BJP office-bearer Manish Vaghasia, along with a young woman. The next day, on 29 December, the police brought all four accused together for a reconstruction of the incident as part of the investigation.
Amreli District Congress President and former MLA Pratap Dudhat has accused BJP leaders of targeting a young, unmarried Patidar woman, who worked as an operator and allegedly typed the letter under her employer’s instructions without any intent to defame anyone. In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Khoddham President Naresh Patel, Dudhat raised his concerns.
“This Patidar daughter has been falsely accused by BJP leaders in Amreli without proper investigation,” Dudhat stated. “She was arrested at midnight and paraded on the city’s main road by the police. Such actions by BJP’s Patel leaders are nothing but an attempt to satisfy their egos,” he added.
In response, BJP spokesperson Shraddha Rajput hit back at Congress, accusing it of politicising the incident. “The police only carried out a reconstruction with the daughter present, yet Congress is twisting the legal process into a baseless narrative,” she said. “Congress should stop baking its political bread by making indecent remarks about Gujarat’s daughter,” she added.
Amreli District Police Chief Sanjay Kharat dismissed the allegations circulating on social media. “The legal process has been followed thoroughly against the accused. We do not agree with the claims made online. The accused were presented in court with evidence, and the court subsequently sent them to jail,” Kharat clarified.
As political tensions continue to rise, both parties remain firm in their narratives, leaving the matter deeply polarised.