Decision to fight Modi in polls absolutely mine: Shweta Bhatt

Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, said that she was not asked by her husband to fight the Assembly election against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“This is absolutely my decision,” Shweta told CNN-IBN.

The Congress has fielded Shweta against Modi in the Maninagar constituency in the upcoming Gujarat polls.

She, however, refused to clarify whether the Bhatt family approached the Congress or the national party reached out to them to take on the Gujarat chief minister in a poll battle.

Denying that he used his wife to carry on his personal battle against Modi, Sanjiv said, “Even if I am suspended I could have contested the elections at any point of time. No law prevents me from doing that. My wife is an individual and a citizen of the country. She is free to take her decision.”

The police officer said that his fight against Modi and Shweta’s poll contest against the chief minister are two different battles.

“These are two different battles. My battle is about the chief minister’s conduct at a certain point of time. Shweta’s is a political battle,” Sanjiv said.

The police officer said that there is no wrong in his wife being a Congress candidate.

“Shweta is supported by a national party with whom we share our basic beliefs. She is against the politics of hatred by Narendra Modi,” Sanjiv said.

The state is voting on 13 and 17 December. The counting is scheduled on 20 December.