The cross-examination will continue on Monday.
The inconsistencies in the statements made by veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel before the Gujarat High Court continued on Friday, when he deposed for the second day before the court for cross-examination in connection with an election petition filed by BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput challenging his Rajya Sabha poll win.
Additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain, who appeared as the counsel for Rajput, taking advantage of the inconsistencies, tried to drive home the point that Patel was trying to "cover up" on the issuance of whip by the Congress party threatening its MLAs to vote in his favour. Patel was grilled for two-and-a-half hours by Jain, with his sharp and twisted questions, that irritated Patel and his advocates PS Champaneri and B Naik.
Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha also appeared as a lawyer for Patel, whereas Congress veteran and senior advocate P Chidambaram, who appeared for Patel on Thursday, remained absent from the proceedings.
During the deposition on Friday, Patel corrected his earlier statement. He said he arrived at Ahmedabad airport from Delhi on a Jet Airways flight on July 25, 2017, at around 4.30 pm to attend a meeting with MLAs at Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) office, whereas on Thursday he mentioned the time as 3.30 pm. Interestingly, in his affidavit before court, he has mentioned his arrival time at Ahmedabad airport to be 3.30 pm. The meeting was held a few days before the election on August 8, 2017.
Jain suggested the court that Patel knowingly mentioned the delay in flight and rains at Ahmedabad as it excused him from reaching late at GPCC office. Jain alleged that Patel attended the meeting with MLAs on July 25 and threatened them to vote in his favour and was behind issuance of the whip. Jain also suggested that Patel was the only beneficiary, if the whip was complied by Congress MLAs.
Jain also questioned Patel whether he won the election due to undue influence on the voters, which is a corrupt practice under the Representation of Peoples Act. Patel, however, answered the question in negative. The cross-examination will continue on Monday.
RS Poll Controversy
Additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain alleged that Patel attended the meeting with MLAs on July 25 and threatened them to vote in his favour and was behind issuance of the whip. Patel, however, answered the question in negative.
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