Representatives of the Gujarat Government are meeting top leaders of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PASS), including Hardik Patel, at Udaipur in neighbouring Rajasthan on Sunday in order to resolve issues of Patidar communities pertaining to reservations under OBC category.
A section of powerful Patidar community has been agitating since July 2015 to get reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions under Other Backward Class (OBC) category. Top PAAS leader Hardik Patel is currently in exile following the Gujarat High Court order for six months. Hence he is residing in Udaipur to obey Gujarat High Court's order. Due to this factor, the important meeting is held at Udaipur instead in the State’s Capital Gandhinagar.
The move by the Gujarat Government is seen as the ruling BJP Government’s bid to solve one of the biggest headaches faced by the party since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. The offer by the BJP Government also comes on the wake of PAAS announcement to hold a bike rally in Surat on November 27 and public gatherings at places like Botad and JamJodhpur of Saurashtra to highlight the problems faced by the people due to the demonetisation.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the State Government was willing to hold talks with PAAS leaders to bring about a solution to the long-standing problem. Hardik Patel, on his part had welcomed the decision by Vijay Rupani Government. The convenors of PAAS would meet in presence of Hardik Patel, face of their agitation, to identify 11 members who would on behalf of the PAAS hold talks with the State Government. The Vijay Rupani Government had on Thursday sent out an open invitate to PAAS and its leader Hardik for talks on their demands.
"We will raise our two key demands of reservations for Patel community and action against the policemen who treated our people in a high-handed manner during the agitation," said Hardik, adding that they are not willing to accept "lollipops" like the Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana, a scholarship scheme launched by the Anandiben Patel Government to appease the community on stir.