Former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel, a critic of his successor Narendra Modi, on Tuesday said a situation resembling a "mini-emergency" prevailed in the state.

"I am unhappy about the prevailing situation in the state. There is a sort of mini-emergency where MLAs are afraid to express their feelings," Patel, who skipped the BJP national executive meeting in Mumbai citing "knee pain", said at his residence in Gandhinagar.

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He also said he was extremely upset over an "obscene" SMS about former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee doing rounds for the last two days.

The veteran BJP leader refused to comment on the parliamentary board's decision not to remove Modi "at this juncture", but said that he would brief the high command about the "prevailing atmosphere of fear" in Gujarat.

Patel's comments came close on the heels of Modi getting a reprieve and at a time when all attention is focussed on the CM at the national executive meeting.