Image Of Hardik Patel

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti had held a massive rally in Ahmedabad and Hardik was arrested

Last year, on 25 August 2015 the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti or PAAS  had held a massive rally in Ahmedabad to announce their agitation for reservation in jobs and education. The rally was followed by a crackdown at the venue, and the arrest of Hardik Patel, which led to large-scale violence across the state.

Around 5,000 protesters had gathered in Mehsana and some of them threw stones at the police when they blocked the rally. Police fired more than a dozen tear-gas shells charged batons injuring several. Some policemen were also injured in the clashes. Tear-gas shells were fired and batons were also charged in Surat.

Earlier, the court had allowed Gujarat Police to file a charge sheet in the case in which it was alleged that Mr Patel had instigated community members to kill policemen and adopted violent ways to “wage war against Gujarat government”.

Hardik Patel, the 23-year-old firebrand leader of the Patel quota movement, was arrested on charges of sedition in October last year. Mr Patel was arrested when his agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges for the powerful and traditionally prosperous Patels or Patidars turned violent.

Hardik Patel Leaves Gujarat For 6-Month Exile, Next Stop Rajasthan

Hardik Patel, walked out of a prison in Gujarat, nine months after he was jailed for sedition. He has to leave the state for six months, which was a condition for his release. He has decided to spend his exile at Udaipur in Rajasthan, which is close to Gujarat.

Gujarat’s Patidar quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel  said he has no intention to join any political party and is raising demand of reservation under constitutional limit.

After reaching Udaipur to spend six months, Mr Patel said that he neither has any intention to join any political party nor to form any party but he will continue to work for the social cause. “I’m like a young person who has come of age,” said Mr Patel, “every party thinks of me as a prospective partner, (but) I am just looking.” Ordered into exile from Gujarat for six months, Mr Patel said he has been invited to Maharashtra (“by Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray, but I won’t go there”), Uttar Pradesh (“yes, Prashant Kishor has called me”) and Delhi (“I am impressed with Arvind Kejriwal”).

Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel has expressed fear that he might be killed in a fake encounter in Rajasthan, where he is staying. “The police have confined me and I fear that I could be killed in a fake encounter while being termed a terrorist. Probably, the home minister of Rajasthan is acting against me at the behest of BJP president Amit Shah,” he told reports.

Censor Board Denies Clearance To Gujarati Film On Hardik Patel

A Gujarati movie, based on quota leader Hardik Patel and the agitation spearheaded by him, has been denied clearance by the censor board on several grounds, including usage of real names in the film, its makers  said.

The decision by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was conveyed to the makers of “Power of Patidar” after a committee of the statutory body, which watched the movie  in Mumbai.

“The movie was screened before a CBFC committee in Mumbai. After the screening, the committee clearly told our producer Dipak Soni this movie will not get clearance from the Board. They have not suggested any cuts. They have outrightly denied clearance to the movie,” said Mr Patel.

The board raised objections against the usage of real names of all the key leaders of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), headed by Hardik Patel and leading the agitation to get OBC status for Patel community.

Gujarat Government To Withdraw 90 Per Cent Cases Related To Patel Agitation

The Gujarat government  said it would withdraw 90 per cent police cases lodged against Patidar community members during the state-wide agitation for reservation last year led by their leader Hardik Patel.

A review committee headed by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel met on July 29 to discuss the matter “sympathetically” after leaders from the agitating community made repeated appeals to her to get the cases withdrawn, an official statement said.

“After discussion, Anandiben decided to withdraw around 90 per cent of cases lodged against Patidar community members in connection with the (reservation) agitation,” it said.

Hardik Patel ‘Misusing’ Community Funds, Allege Quota Stir Leaders

Ahead of the first anniversary of the Patidar agitation for reservation in jobs and education, differences are growing between the core members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti or PAAS and its convenor Hardik Patel. The leaders have accused Mr Patel of “spending the community’s money to further his personal interests”.

Two core group members of the group, Chirag Patel and Ketan Patel, have also written a strongly-worded three page letter to Hardik, accusing him of spending the community’s funds for personal interests and “favouring and listening to his distant relative, rather than to his PAAS colleagues”.

Chirag said they were aggrieved at the way the agitation was being led by Hardik.

“He (Hardik) has a different lifestyle now. He used to move in a small car and now expensive cars are being gifted to him. Why are people gifting cars to him? Hardik needs to introspect,” he said.

Hardik, who is currently out of Gujarat as per the bail condition of the High Court, has rubbished the allegations and said people with vested interests were trying to damage the agitation.

“I was in jail for 9 months and have been out of Gujarat for several months. How can I be accused of misusing funds? I’m working for my community. I neither have any monetary nor political ambition. I’ll continue to work for my community,” said Hardik.

Hardik Patel Demands Release Of Patels Convicted In 2002 Riots Cases 

Quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel has demanded the release of Patel youths convicted in various riots cases of 2002, but alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not facilitate it as he now wants to project himself as a “secular” leader to the world.

Mr Patel in a letter to PM Modi, has listed 102 Patel community members, who have been awarded life imprisonment in different riot cases of 2002.

“Everybody knows that Narendra Modi first became chief minister of Gujarat taking the benefit of 2002 riots and then become Prime Minister of the country,” Hardik Patel said in a letter addressed to Modi accusing him of being responsible for the carnage.

“Many Patidar youths have been sentenced by courts in riots cases. I have given a list below,” he said in the letter.

“All these Patel youths are rotting in jails of Gujarat. Modiji is now Prime Minister. He can recommend to the President for release of Patel youths involved in riots and get them released,” Hardik said in the letter.

“But, I know Modiji will not do that as he wants to show the country and the world that he is a secular person. Modiji has misused Gujaratis and particularly Patidars,” Hardik alleged.

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