Maharashtra Congress vice-president Hidayatullah Patel, who was stabbed inside a mosque in Akola district, succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Wednesday morning.
Patel was attacked with a sharp weapon around 1.30 pm on Tuesday as he was stepping out of the Jama Masjid in Mohala village of Akot taluka after offering namaz, allegedly over an old enmity.
Videos showing 66 year old Patel with his clothes soaked in blood as he emerged from the mosque circulated widely on social media after the attack.
The former district Congress president sustained serious injuries to his neck and chest, causing heavy bleeding. He was rushed to a private hospital in Akot and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he died on Wednesday morning, a police official said.
Six police teams were formed to track down the accused, identified as Ubed Khan Kalu Khan alias Razik Khan Patel (22). He was arrested around 8 pm on Tuesday from Panaj village in Akot taluka, Additional Superintendent of Police B Chandrakant Reddy said.
The Maharashtra Congress described the attack on Patel as stemming from “political animosity” and said his death during treatment was “an utterly deplorable and painful incident.”
Expressing condolences, the Congress said, “A diligent and disciplined leader in the politics of Akola district, who was always ready to stand up for the people’s issues, has departed from our midst today. His passing has caused an irreparable loss to the Congress party and to society. May God grant eternal peace to his soul and give strength to the Patel family to endure this difficult time. Heartfelt condolences.”
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Harshwardhan Sapkal condemned the killing, calling it a tragic and deeply disturbing incident.
“The life-threatening attack on Congress senior leader Hidayat Patel and his subsequent demise is extremely tragic. I strongly condemn such violent tendencies in politics. A diligent and people-oriented leader has left us today. The void created in the social and political life of Akola district will never be filled,” Sapkal said, adding that he shares in the grief of the Patel family and offered his heartfelt condolences.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP and General Secretary Mukul Wasnik said he was deeply shocked and saddened by the murder.
“Hearing the news of the murder of Shri Hidayat Patel ji has left me deeply shocked and extremely saddened. He was a noble, peace-loving and outstanding individual. I pray to God to grant peace to his soul and give his family the strength to overcome this grief,” Wasnik said.
Former MPCC president and Sakoli MLA Nana Patole said the news of Patel’s death during treatment following a deadly attack was “extremely heartbreaking” and raised serious concerns about law and order in Maharashtra.
“In a democracy, violence has no place whatsoever. That a leader had to lose his life due to political enmity is deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the state of law and order. A thorough investigation must be conducted and the guilty must face immediate and strict action,” Patole said.
Following the incident, security was tightened in Mohala and Akot city, with District Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak reviewing the situation.
Hidayat Patel, also known as Hidayatullah Barakatulla Patel was also former President of the Akola District Congress Committee.
Born to Barakatulla Patel, he completed his SSC (10th standard) from Shree Narsingh Vidyalaya, Akot, under the Maharashtra State Board in 1974–75.
Patel was a well-known and influential political figure in the Akola region. He contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Akola constituency in 2014 and 2019 as a Congress candidate, though he was not elected.
His political career was largely focused on strengthening the Congress organisation at the district and state levels. Over the years, he rose through the party ranks to hold a state-level leadership position, and was known for his active involvement in grassroots politics and local public issues.
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