Congress leader Hidayat Patel stabbed outside mosque in Maharashtra; critical

AKOLA: Maharashtra state Congress vice-president Hidayat Patel was brutally stabbed in Akot taluka moments after he stepped out of Markaz Masjid in Mohala village after offering namaz on Tuesday. Later in the day, the cops arrested the accused.Police said the assailant stabbed Patel repeatedly in the neck and abdomen with a sharp weapon before fleeing. Bleeding profusely, Patel collapsed outside the mosque, triggering panic in the locality. People present at the spot rushed him to a private hospital in Akot. As his condition worsened, Patel was shifted to a private hospital in Akola. Doctors said his condition remains critical.The accused has been identified as Ubed Patel and was arrested from Panj village. A case of attempt to murder has been registered against him at Akot Rural Police Station. Following the incident, Akot rural police, senior officers and a forensic team rushed to the spot. Blood samples and other evidence were collected as part of the investigation. Police deployment was intensified in the area.Akola superintendent of police Archit Chandak said preliminary investigations indicate that the attack stemmed from an old dispute and political rivalry.The accused reportedly told police that he suspected the involvement of Patel's group in the 2019 death of one of his family members. He also claimed that despite familial ties, Patel stalled his rise as a politician. SP Chandak said the accused is being questioned in detail to ascertain whether he acted alone or if there were accomplices or instigators. All possible angles are being probed.Hidayat Patel is a well-known Congress leader in the Akola district. He had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019 and currently serves as the party's state vice-president. The attack comes amid heightened political tension in Akot following recent municipal elections, during which internal rifts within the Congress had surfaced.