For the second time this week, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel offered to resign on Friday, this time if Narendra Modi provided proof of his (Patel) visiting his house or office as the BJP prime ministerial candidate claimed in an >interview to Doordarshan News.
Mr. Modi said he once had a close relationship with Mr. Patel, who used to be known as “Babubhai,” and they even shared meals.
But rubbishing the claims as a “political stunt,” Mr. Patel said these were aimed at creating confusion during the fag end of the elections.
“I will quit public life if he provides proof of my visiting his house, office or taking any favour from him.”
Mr. Patel recalled only one instance, in the early 1980s, of Mr. Modi visiting his house for a meal.
Mr. Modi’s claim was that they used to speak frequently but all that had stopped and Mr. Patel no longer took his calls.
The bits on Mr. Patel were edited out, as were Mr. Modi’s comments on Ms. Gandhi’s daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, of the interview aired on Doordarshan News on Sunday.
Mr. Modi’s office released the full 54-minute interview on Thursday night in a bid to put the lid on the controversy.
In the wake of the controversy, Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawahar Sircar has reportedly written to the Board, detailing the circumstances surrounding the interview. He is said to have suggested that such a situation would not have arisen had professionals been brought in at all levels.
Even as the entire interview became available on YouTube, Doordarshan maintained that the portions on Mr. Patel and Ms. Vadra were cut, but not in a bid to be on the right side of the current dispensation.
“The interview was to go in a 30-minute slot and we had about double that duration of recording. Some portions had to be edited and we took out those that did not seem relevant while retaining a lot that was critical of the current government,’’ said Doordarshan News officials.
Meanwhile, Doordarshan anchor Ashok Shrivastav, replying to queries whether his interview was censored on instructions from the top, said he would “answer all questions and queries at the appropriate time.”
