Congress giving Patidars already licked lollipop: BJP

“This (meeting between Congress and PAAS) was nothing, but part of a conspiracy to merge (PAAS) with Congress. PAAS is betraying the Patidar community and is only looking for an excuse to extend support to the Congress,” Nitin Patel said. (File)

After leaders of the Congress and PAAS met on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that PAAS is only looking for an excuse to support the Congress. The BJP leader also accused the Congress of making false promises to Patidars and misleading them without making it clear, if they will include Patidars into the OBC category or not.

“This (meeting between Congress and PAAS) was nothing, but part of a conspiracy to merge (PAAS) with Congress. PAAS is betraying the Patidar community and is only looking for an excuse to extend support to the Congress,” Nitin Patel said.

“All that has been promised by the Congress have been done by the BJP government. We have formed a judicial commission to inquire into the alleged atrocities on Patidars, we have given 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, we have already allocated Rs 600 crore for the welfare of Patidars…Instead of making such false promises, Congress should make it clear, if they will include Patidars among OBCs or not,” said Nitin Patel. “And PAAS members who participated in the meeting should spell it out, if what discussion did they have with Congress over the issue of OBC reservation…Congress is trying to give PAAS an already licked lollipop,” he added.

Meanwhile, a twitter handle purportedly of the Gujarat BJP pinned a tweet clearly drawing the battlelines between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and youth leaders Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani,. The tweet pinned on the handle @ForBJPGujarat, has a 20-second animation video of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani each of who in that order pitches a banner saying ‘Patidar’, OBC and ‘Dalit’ to groups of people cheering. Then comes Modi demolishing the banners to a crowd that shouts ‘Modi, Modi’ and the slogan ‘Sabka saath, Sabka vikas’.