Hardik has Sardar Patel's DNA: Cong leader; BJP criticises

remarksAhmedabad, Nov 14 (PTI) A Gujarat Congress leader hasstoked a controversy with his remarks that Patidar quotaagitation spearhead Hardik Pat...

remarksAhmedabad, Nov 14 (PTI) A Gujarat Congress leader hasstoked a controversy with his remarks that Patidar quotaagitation spearhead Hardik Patel has the "DNA of SardarPatel".

The BJP has criticised the comments, saying such acomparison was an insult to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, thefirst deputy prime minister of independent India, who was alsoknown as the "Iron Man".

A relative of Sardar Patel also said the two could not becompared, as Sardar Patel worked to "unify the nation", whileHardik was working to "divide" it.

Senior Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil yesterdaytold mediapersons that the steadfast and authentic approach ofHardik to take on the ruling BJP in the state showed that hehad the "DNA of Sardar Patel", who could not be broken orsuppressed by the British.

"Hardik Patel is fighting against the injustices metedout to his community with a steadfastness and authenticitywhich could not be bought over even by the crores of rupees of(BJP chief) Amit Shah and could not be broken even after hewas jailed for months," he had said, reacting to a purportedsex clip of the Patidar leader which surfaced on the socialmedia.

"He has the DNA of Sardar Patel, who could not be boughtor broken by the Englishmen. Similarly, the BJP cannot buy orscare Hardik," Gohil had said.

BJP leader Mansukh Mandaviya reacted to Gohil's comments,saying comparing Hardik to Sardar Patel was an insult to thelatter, the state of Gujarat and the country.

"To say that a person caught in such a shameful act (sexclip) has Sardar Patel's DNA is an insult to Sardar Patel. TheCongress has had a tradition of insulting Sardar Patel andthis is an insult to Gujarat and the country as well," hesaid.

Sardar Patel's great-grandnephew Sameer Patel alsotrashed Gohil's remarks.

"It is rubbish to say that Hardik Patel has SardarPatel's DNA because Sardar worked to unify the nation whileHardik is dividing the nation," he said.

Hardik, who has been up in arms against the BJPgovernment in Gujarat, courted controversy after the purportedsex clip, in which a man who look likes him is seen with awoman, surfaced on the social media. The Congress was quick tojump to the defence of the Patidar leader.

Yesterday, Hardik had expressed satisfaction over thethree options given by the Congress on how the party wouldgrant reservation to Patels, if voted to power in Gujarat, andsaid the leaders of the community would take a final call onthe matter.

Hardik had earlier set a condition that he would supportthe Congress in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, if theparty committed itself to allotting a quota to his communityin education and government jobs.

The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls intwo phases -- on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes willbe taken up on December 18. PTI KA PD GK RC ZMNRC.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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