Patidar quota stir leader detained by Gujarat police ahead of symbolic hunger strike

Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel and his supporters were detained by the Gujarat police on Sunday ahead of their symbolic hunger strike in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area.

Firebrand Patel (26) had announced to observe the day-long fast today after his application to allot an open plot in Nikol to stage a protest from August 25 did not find any response from the administration. Patel had last month announced that he would not eat until his two demands – OBC status to Patidars and farm loan waiver – are met.

The fast was seen as Patel’s attempt to revive the agitation demanding reservation benefits in government jobs and college admission to Patidars. Otherwise a staunch supporter of the BJP, a section of the influential Patidars has been at loggerheads with the state government, resulting into severe electoral loss to the party in the 2015 local body and 2017 assembly elections.

In run up to both the elections, Patel and his supporters had declared support to the Congress.

Minutes before his detention, Patel told reports, “Is observing fast a crime? Why is the BJP so nervous that hundreds of policemen have been sent to my home and several of my supporters have been detained? All that we want is permission to observe fast for the welfare of our community and farmers.”

In August 2015, the Gujarat government had allotted huge open Ahmedabad’s GMDC ground to Hardik and his outfit Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti to organize a rally. This first state level gathering of the community ended with violent clashes between protestors and police, killing 13 youths and causing Rs 44 crore damage to the public property. Following violent protests, the government has filed two sedition charges against Patel. He is currently out on bail. He has also been convicted and given two years sentence for rioting in Mehsana that marked beginning of the agitation in 2015.

On Sunday, a minor scuffle between police and Patel’s guards was reported at time of his arrest. He was arrested soon after he left his home on S G Highway to reach Nikol.

“Hardik and his supporters were detained as they started gathering for the event for which permission was not given,” said a senior police officer. The police team had taken him to crime branch office in Ahmedabad.

“What kind of democracy is this? What can be said if person is not allowed to protest peacefully’’, said Congress MLA Lalit Vasoya and former member of PAAS.

Patel had in past couple of days at many occasions maintained that whether despite green signal or not from the administration, he would go ahead with his program and the state would be responsible for any untoward incident. On Saturday, he had also written to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani that he should be allowed to go on indefinite strike.

First Published: Aug 19, 2018 15:13 IST