SURENDRANAGAR: Congress leader Hardik Patel was slapped on Friday during a public meeting in Surendranagar in Saurashtra region, a Patel-dominated area which was a hub of his Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti’s agitation in 2015. Blaming the BJP for the attack, he said the party was trying to kill him.
A significant section of the Patidar community, to which Hardik Patel belongs, has seemingly stopped supporting him after the Central government announced a quota for the upper caste poor and he joined the Congress party.But there is still a section of people supporting him as they are proud of a young Patel boy making it big in politics at a young age.
The incident happened when Patel was asking people to vote for the Congress candidate in the constituency, where the BJP and Congress are expected to witness a tough political battle.
The attacker, later identified as Tarun Mistry, climbed on to the dais and slapped Patel. Mistry was thrashed by Patel’s supporters and later taken to a hospital. An FIR has been lodged in connection with the incident.
In a video of the incident, Mistry is heard shouting that “14 people have died”, referring to 14 people killed in clashes with the police after a Patidar rally on August 25, 2015.
“Attack on me was supported by the BJP as I have joined the Congress party. Today they have tried to slap me and tomorrow BJP will get me shot,” Patel tweeted after the incident.
Patel’s allegation about the BJP conspiring to kill him was supported by Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who said that the Patidar andolan leader’s security had been reduced despite repeated threats to him.
“I have also received several death threats, but Gujarat government has not increased our security,” tweeted Mevani.
Two views
Some people from the Patel community feel that by joining the Congress, Hardik Patel has belied their hopes
However, some others support him and laud him as he raises issues faced by the community