[Reader-list] Gujarat architect dissuading people in Varanasi to vote for Modi Press Trust of India | Apr 01, 2014 at 10:40pm IST

[Asit Das]

Gujarat architect dissuading people in Varanasi to vote for Modi Press
Trust of India <http://ibnlive.in.com/agency/Press-Trust-of-India.html> |
Apr 01, 2014 at 10:40pm IST

 *Varanasi:* A 29-year-old architect from Gujarat, who says that his wife
had committed suicide inside Chief Minister Narendra Modi's office after
being "harassed" by the government and police, is camping here to
"dissuade" people against voting for BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

However, BJP on Tuesday "questioned" his motive and asked for a probe into
the matter.

"Instead of justice from the Gujarat government and the state police, we
(he and his wife) got harassment in return that drove my spouse to commit
suicide at the chief minister's (Modi's) office in Gandhinagar, no less.
What is happening in Gujarat, should not repeat in other states," Kalpesh
Patel said.

Architect says that his wife had committed suicide inside Modi's office
after being "harassed" by the government and police.

"And, therefore, I am here to warn voters against the perils ahead," Patel
said.

He said that in the next couple of weeks he will start a campaign in
Varanasi by collecting many other "victims" of the Modi-ruled regime in the
western state.

Narrating his tale, Patel, who hails from Mehsana district of Gujarat, says
that he and his wife were being harassed by his in-laws. When they
approached police, instead of lodging an FIR, he was detained in a lock-up
and tortured by them.

"I and my wife Ami Patel were harassed by my in-laws and instead of lodging
an FIR against her accused family members, they (Gujarat police) wrongfully
detained me in a lock-up and tortured me," he said in press conference.

Patel claimed that they gave several applications to the Gujarat chief
minister's office since 2011 and his wife attended the 'janta darbar' but
no response was given from the government.

"But in return, the police only harassed me after he dragged the matter in
court," he said.Patel claimed that unable to bear the agony any further,
his wife committed suicide at the chief minister's office in Gandhinagar by
consuming poison.

She died on April 28, 2012.

State BJP, however, has rejected all allegations and questioned the motive
behind the move by an "unknown person". "BJP rejects all such allegations
as falsehood and I think the motive of this whole move must be questioned.

"Why is he here? Who has sent him? Why he did this press conference in
Varanasi and not in Gujarat itself.

"The whole thing should be probed," BJP media in-charge for 'Kashi Prant'
unit Sanjay Bharadwaj said.

Patel also claims to have even documented his entire legal struggle,
including court cases details, the personal lives of the couple, in a book
form, which he claimed, "no one wanted to publish". "So, I opened a
publishing house in my late wife's name and did it myself.

"I have also sent copies of the compilation to various heads of State in
the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President
Pranab Mukherjee, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Anna Hazare, among
others," he said.