The 23-year-old pro-quota Patidar leader Hardik Patel got a hero’s welcome after he was released from lajpore jail in Surat on Friday morning as thousands of people participated in a rally which snaked through the streets of Surat.
Dressed in a Kathiawadi (Saurashtra region) farmer’s attire, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PASS) convener immediately announced that the pro-quota agitation would continue.
“The agitation will not stop no matter what,” said Hardik adding, “It will only end if members of the Patidar community want it to stop. The agitation is not the property of any political party and hence no one should try to take credit for it.”
Hardik couldn’t resist indicating that members of the Patidar community would show their strength in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls in the year 2017. He also revealed his intentions of going national saying that there were over 27 crore Kurmis (Patels) across the country and he would like to unite them and understand their issues by travelling to different places.
Terming the Gujarat Government’s decision of 10 per cent quota for unreserved category including Patidars as inadequate, Hardik said that the Patidars were not given what they demanded. The PAAS convener however said that he and other pro-quota Patidar leaders were open for discussion with State Government representatives.
“After six months Patidars will analyse what they lost and what they achieved after one-and-half-years of the pro-quota stir. On the basis of the analysis, appropriate decision will be taken collectively in the best interest of the community,” he said in a query of future course of action.
Commenting sarcastically on PM Modi’s famous remarks of 56-inch-chest during 2014 lok Sabha poll campaign, Hardik said that he didn’t have height, weight or 56-inch-chest and what he wanted was reservation for Patidar in Government jobs and educational institutions to Patidars under OBC category.
The central government was working for the removal of reservations, he said, adding that in Gujarat they (BJP) announced reservation for EBC but there was no provision for such thing in constitution. It clearly showed that they were working for the removal of reservation, he claimed saying that he feels that only through reservations marginalized and backward communities would develop.
Thanking the judiciary system of the nation, Hardik said that he could come out due to the independent judiciary system and not because of the state government had gone soft. “The state government was never in favour of my bail,” he alleged. Denying any political affiliation he said that he was not a seasoned politician and would like to work for the community.
The PAAS leader has a packed schedule ahead in next 36 hours as he is expected to have series of meetings, road shows and visit to religious places of Patidar community. According to sources in PAAS, Hardik to stay at Udaipur in neighbouring Rajasthan during exile as per the order of Gujarat High Court which granted bail on the condition that he would stay out of Gujarat for six months.
Hardik’s release from the jail could possible following the Gujarat High Court granted him bail in couple of sedition cases and an arson-related case in the past fortnight.