'Sonia Gandhi asked, is there any SHORTAGE of funds,' Teesta Setalvad's ex-associate's BIG claim sparks controversy

Social activist Teesta Setalvad has been accused by an SIT of conspiring to destabilize the then-elected government in Gujarat and taking money from late Congress leader Ahmed Patel post the Gujarat riots of 2002.

Rais Khan Pathan attacks Teesta Setalvad:  Rais Khan Pathan, a former associate of social activist Teesta Setalvad, has made shocking revelations! Teesta Setalvad has been accused by an SIT of conspiring to destabilize the then-elected government in Gujarat and taking money from late Congress leader Ahmed Patel post the Gujarat riots of 2002.

Pathan claimed that he and Teesta had met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi when Sonia had asked Teesta if she was facing any shortage of funds. Demanding an SIT inquiry on Sonia Gandhi, Pathan said Ahmed Patel and Sonia Gandhi were involved in the attempt to destabilise the Gujarat government which was then led by Narendra Modi. 

In a special conversation with Zee News, Rais Khan Pathan claimed that he has been an eyewitness to the deal between Teesta Setalvad and Ahmed Patel. Pathan made several important revelations, claiming that Rs 5 lakh was given in the initial phase and Rs 25 lakh after 48 hours to defame the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and topple the BJP government.

'Just remember the purpose'

Pathan further claimed that late Congress leader Ahmed Patel gave this money from Narendra Bhrambhatt to Teesta and said that there will never be a shortage of funds, 'just remember the purpose'. According to Pathan, Ahmed Patel had said that actions should be taken so that Modi is put behind bars and the government topples. The claims of Ahmed Patel's daughter Mumtaz Patel are absolutely wrong. Pathan further said that after going different ways from Teesta in 2008, he met Ahmed Patel twice and complained about her, but Patel had said that whatever is happening, it was their doing and he was allegedly asked to stay away.

'Sonia Gandhi had asked if Teesta is facing fund shortage'

Rais Khan Pathan further claimed that he and Teesta had also met Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi. At that time, Sonia had asked Teesta - said Pathan - whether there was any problem with respect to the fund. "Sonia Gandhi had asked, is there any shortage of funds," said Pathan. Teesta had reportedly said no and Pathan added that Teesta also mentioned that thanks to Ahmed Patel, she faced no issues. Rais Khan Pathan said that everything will become clear once SIT interrogates Sonia Gandhi.

Teesta denies charges in court 

Meanwhile, Teesta Setalvad told a local court on Monday that these charges and others levelled against her were baseless. The Mumbai-based activist, who is in jail in Gujarat, also denied charges of fabricating evidence to implicate innocent people in the 2002 riots cases. 

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, whose husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was killed during the riots. The plea had alleged a "larger conspiracy" behind the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. But the apex court upheld a previous SIT's clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (the then-chief minister of Gujarat) and 63 others. The apex court had said there is no "title of material" to support the allegation that violence which broke out after the Godhra train burning incident was a "pre-planned event" owing to a conspiracy hatched at the highest level in the state. Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed at Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society during violence on February 28, 2002, a day after 59 people died when the Sabarmati Express train was set afire near Godhra station. The statewide riots triggered in the aftermath of the train burning incident had killed 1,044 people. The Union government had informed the Rajya Sabha in May 2005 that 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed in the post-Godhra riots.