AHMEDABAD: In a politically-charged reaction to the verdict of the
Visnagar court, Patidar quota agitation leader
Hardik Patel on Wednesday said his conviction was an attempt to stop him from contesting the coming
Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to reporters at his residence on SG Road in the city, Patel said, “BJP leaders and their government made such a case that I would be convicted even though none of the 17 witnesses, including their MLA Rushikesh Patel, named me. This conviction is an attempt to stop me from fighting the election. But the BJP has made me stronger now. This was an attempt by the BJP to ruin my political and social career.”
“The BJP government believes that if I contest the Lok Sabha polls, their seats will be reduced to 18 from the existing 26. As I have been convicted in the rioting case by the court, there will be no question of contesting polls, but if I get the chance (if the verdict is set aside by a higher court), I will certainly fight the election.”
Hardik said the conviction will not affect his spirit to continue the agitation and said that BJP leaders could go to any length to destroy him.“These are persons who killed their own leader,
Haren Pandya, and they even made fake sex tapes of their own leader to finish his political career. My fight will continue,” he said.Hardik added, “The rioting case against me concluded quickly and I am satisfied with the judiciary about that, but the fact is that the legal procedure in the alleged rape case against BJP leader Jayanti Bhanushali and the Naliya rape case have been dragged out for long periods.” Hardik raised doubts about the government’s intentions, saying, “Before the assembly polls, the Gujarat government promised to withdraw all the cases except the one for sedition, so how has this rioting case has been emerged.”
