Reiterating reservation demand for Patel community under Other Backward Class (OBC) category in Government jobs and educational institutions, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PASS) convener Hardik Patel on Tuesday again blew bugle against the State Government saying that if Patidars wouldn’t get reservation, they know how to snatch it.
Addressing a rally of Patidars at north Gujarat town Himmatnagar on his return to Gujarat after six months exile as per high court order, the 23-year-old pro-quota Patidar leader said that he had become fearless after spending 18 months in jail and out of Gujarat and ready to fight for the community even if he would be sent to jail again.
“My fight is not for the individual gain, but for the Patidar community. At the age of 23, I was charged with sedition. Now they can hang me or send me to jail again for life imprisonment (14 years). In this country, hanging someone is not easy. If life imprisonment given to me, I would come out of the jail at the age of 37 and continue to serve the community,” he said in the rally which PAAS leaders termed “the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation.”
Without naming anyone, Hardik mentioned that he was prepared to take it head-on with the General Dyer. In context to highhandedness of police post GMDC ground mega rally in August 2015, he said that the first General Dyer was good, who attacked India's freedom fighters using a small entry to the ground, but this General Dyer attacked in open under a free India and killed 14 Patidar youth.
He, however, tried to strike a chord with police personnel saying that he doesn’t blame policemen as they were following orders of their bosses. He appealed them to join the fight against the Government as through fix salary policy many policemen too are being exploited.