Heavily drunk, Gujarat Dy CM Nitin Patel's son misbehaves; taken off flight

Jaimin Patel cleared the immigration and other checks in a wheelchair: Qatar Airways officials

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel's son was early on Monday prevented by authorities from boarding a Qatar Airways flight to Greece after he arrived in a "heavily drunken" state at the airport and argued with the airline's staff.

Official sources told IANS that Jaimin Patel, who is in his mid-30s, his wife Jhalak and their daughter Vaishvi were stopped from boarding the Qatar Airways flight, which was to take off at 4 a.m.

When Patel, who is a land dealer, reached Ahmedabad International Airport, he was not even able to walk because of his drunken state.

He cleared the immigration and other checks in a wheelchair due to his inebriated condition, said airport officials.

"Jaimin Patel was prevented from boarding the flight. He also had an argument with the staff of the airways," an official said, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, Nitin Patel told reporters in the evening in Gandhinagar that this was a ploy to defame him. "My son, his wife and daughter were going for a vacation. He was not feeling well."

"His wife called up home and then it was decided to return home and not proceed," Patel added.

"Our opponents are trying to tarnish our image by spreading false and mischievous information," he said.

The report of his son being boozed comes as a major embarrassment for Patel and BJP in the wake of upcoming Gujarat assembly elections. The party has been criticised for not implementing the liquor ban in a rigorous manner. In a recent public meeting addressed by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Gandhinagar, he took a jibe at the Vijay Rupani-led government for allegedly failing to prohibit the illicit sale of alcohol in the state.