Was offered Rs 1 crore to join BJP: Patel leader's sensational claim

October 23, 2017 08:18

A member of the Hardik Patel-led group campaigning for reservations for the Patel community in Gujarat has alleged that he was offered Rs 1 crore for crossing over to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Narendra Patel, convenor for the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti in north Gujarat, had joined the BJP on Sunday evening in the presence of Hardik Patel's former aide Varun Patel who had crossed over to the BJP on Saturday.

However, late in the night Narendra Patel alleged that he had been offered Rs 1 crore by the BJP through Varun Patel to switch sides. The charge has been denied by Varun Patel.

Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend, he said, dramatically spreading out the bundles of cash that he said were handed over to him, at a late-night press conference on Sunday.

"These people (BJP leaders) then immediately called a press conference, and made me say it (that I was joining the BJP)," Patel went on to say.

"I, however, felt that this is wrong, and that the Patel community is being betrayed," Patel told a crowded a press conference.

He said that he had decided to take the money and parade it before the media to expose Varun Patel and the BJP.

These allegations come a day after Varun and Reshma Patel, another member of the PAAS, joined BJP, alleging that the Congress was trying to hijack the reservation stir.

"The allegations are baseless and motivated by the Congress as the party fears that Patidars are swinging back to the BJP after realising the Congress gameplan," Varun Patel said.

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