Keshubhai misses anti-Modi conference due to health problems

Surat, June 11 (UNI) Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel will not attend the Patidar Community Rally this evening because of health concerns.

Mr Patel who was to attend the massive show of strength against his successor Narendra Modi in this town of diamond and textiles today, could not attend the rally as he suddenly developed health problems at the Los Angeles airport, just before boarding the flight back to India.

''Notwithstanding the doctor's advice, Mr Patel insisted on continuing his journey but the airlines refused to take him onboard in such condition,'' an organiser of Patidar Rajasvi Ratan Samman Samaroh told newspersons here.

In Mr Patel's place, his son Bharat Patel, will receive the award, the organisers said.

The rally to be inaugurated by VHP leader Praveen Bhai Togadia, is being seen as a flexing of muscles by the Patel community against the present state govenment under Mr Modi, as they felt that the present CM in power for over 2063 days -- the longest serving CM of the state surpassing Late Hitendra Desai -- had ignored their community.

Earlier in the day, BJP dissidents had alleged that the BJP leadership was exerting all pressures to ensure that the conference, which is being attended by several BJP MPs and sitting MLAs, did not succeed.

UNI