Senior Public Relations Officer of Gujarat CMO Hitesh Pandya Resigns over the J&K Conman Controversy

Additional Public Relations Officer (PRO) to Gujarat Chief Minister, Hitesh Pandya, quits as the son’s link with the imposter in J&K is out

Hitesh Pandya, the additional public relations officer (PRO) of Gujarat chief minister, resigned on Friday, weeks after Ahmedabad resident Kiran Patel was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir for impersonating an official from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Soon after this, the alleged link between his son and his interrogation by the police was in the news. This led to the resignation of the veteran officer.

Pandya, who was appointed to the Gujarat CMO in a lateral appointment in 2001 as an assistant PRO, has one of the longest tenures in the office there. He has previously worked for Life Corporation of India and the Rajkot newspaper “Phulchhab.”

Hitesh Pandya on the conman controversy

Speaking to the media, Hitesh Pandya said, “I resigned, accepting moral responsibility. My son’s name has been drawn into the conman controversy by the media without proper evidence.  Media reports were bogus.”

Pandya, on the other hand, denied knowing anything about Kiran Patel’s connections to the CMO. He did, however, confirm that in 2011, Patel was connected to the Nation First Foundation, a private organisation he had launched (NFF).

“I established it in 2011 to disseminate Modi saheb’s ideologies. I founded the organisation, and the only objective of our effort was to benefit the country. Then, in order to raise public awareness of the initiatives and accomplishments of the BJP government, we carried out the Bharat Jago Abhiyan. Since he was with Amit, he (Kiran Patel) came into contact with me. Also, he joined NFF,” Pandya stated.

“After hearing about the incident from my son, I immediately notified the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patelji and those who I felt required to be informed,” claims Pandya.

When the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Kiran Patel on March 3 for impersonating a PMO officer, he was accompanied by at least two other people. Amit Pandya, Hitesh Pandya’s son, is said to be one of them. Amit has been questioned by the Jammu & Kashmir police in this case. Jai Sitapara, a Rajkot native, has been identified as the third person. The Pandyas are also Rajkot natives.

BJP on Amit’s link to the party

Amit is affiliated with the BJP and is in charge of social media in the North Zone of Gujarat. According to a BJP insider, the party has already suspended Amit, although the suspension has not been officially declared.

According to BJP executives, Hitesh Pandya was initially affiliated with the late ex-home minister and BJP politician Hiren Pandya. He was appointed as PRO by then-CM Keshubhai Patel in 1999 and has since served all four chief ministers. His reputation has risen in the last couple of decades.

The police inquiry into Kiran Patel’s case is causing tremendous embarrassment for the Bhupendra Patel government. Kiran Patel is accused of influencing numerous senior officials and big shots and earning excessive gains.

The resignation came as the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch filed a new FIR against Kiran Patel in response to a complaint filed by ex-BJP minister Jawahar Chavda’s brother, Jagdish. He claims Patel attempted to acquire the complainant’s bungalow while acting as a PMO officer. Jagdish petitioned the DCB in June of last year, but no FIR was filed at the time.