Sonia rehabilitates Ahmad Patel

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. A quiet rehabilitation of sorts appears to be happening in the case of the former treasurer of the Congress party, Mr. Ahmad Patel.

A fortnight after he carried the Congress president's chaddarto the dargah at Ajmer, Mr. Ahmad Patel was today once again Ms. Gandhi's special representative at the ceremony to mark the taking over of Mr. Ahmad Bokhari as the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid.

Mr. Patel's return to the inner circle of the Congress president has happened barely two months after he quit as treasurer in a fit of emotion.

Not only has he been chosen by the Congress president as her points man as far as dealing with affairs concerning the minorities is concerned, she has also made him the coordinator of a three-member committee to prepare the party for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States.

Significantly Mr. Patel's emergence as the Congress president's point man vis a vis minority affairs comes despite the fact that there is a department of minorities affairs in the party headed by a political heavyweight CWC member.

The department which initially looked after the party's dealing with the minorities has seen its role reduced considerably in the past few months, specially in its dealings with the minorities of Mumbai. A new committee headed by the actor, Mr. Dilip Kumar, has been set up to coordinate the activities between the AICC headquarters and the community in the State.

The move to rehabilitate both Mr. Patel and the former UPCC chief, Mr. Salman Khursheed, appears to be a well-thought out move.

It nips in the bud a concerted campaign by disgruntled elements in the party that leaders belonging to the minority community were being systematically sidelined in the party. Besides by rehabilitating these two leaders the high command appears to be rewarding people who have backed the Congress president, in good times and in bad.

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