Ahmedabad Patidar leader and BJP’s headache Hardik Patel will return to his home state Gujarat today noon after spending six months outside the state as ordered by the high court as part of his bail conditions.
He will return from his exile in Rajasthan’s Udaipur with a bang by addressing a 1-lakh strong rally of the Patel community in Sabarkantha district.
Patel faces sedition charges, was released on bail by the Gujarat High Court on July 15 last year. He was charged with inciting violence to force government’s hands into accepting the demands of OBC reservation for the Patel community, causing the death of ten people and damage to public properties across Gujarat, worth crores of rupees.
Advertisement
Patel's close aide Dinesh Bambhaniya said he will receive a grand welcome on entering Gujarat from Ratanpur border.
PAAS has described it as "the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation".
In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground demanding inclusion of the community in the OBC category for quota benefits.
"This rally in Himmatnagar is GMDC part two. Hardik will take up the reservation issue. He will also demand justice for those killed in police firing during the violence after GMDC rally. This rally will reignite the quota agitation in Gujarat," Bambhaniya said.
Advertisement
At around 2 PM, Hardik will reach Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. In the evening, he will leave for Pune to take part in "Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad".
Hardik's return is being monitored carefully by political parties as well as the administration as the state goes to polls later this year.
Hours before his departure from Rajasthan, Hardik lambasted the BJP-led Gujarat government, reported The Times of India.
“If they (the BJP government) cannot kill me, I may be sent to jail for 14 years. But then when I come out at 36, I will have ample ti me to serve the community ,“ Hardik said at a press conference held at his temporary residence in Udaipur, ahead of his departure on Monday .
“Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria may get me killed in a fake encounter, as he has been asked to do so by Amit Shah. They have here an officer who was an accused in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case,“ Hardik added.
