Patidar Amanat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel on Saturday warned the Congress that it would face a protest if the party did not make its stand clear on reservation for the Patidar community by November 3. In a tweet, Patel said the Congress would face protests similar to what Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah faced in Surat in 2016.
On September 8, 2016, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti workers disrupted an event attended by Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The workers threw chairs at Shah and chanted Hardik’s name.
The Congress has announced a rally by its vice president, Rahul Gandhi, in Surat’s Varaccha, The Indian Express reported. The Congress has asked Hardik Patel to attend the public meeting.
Surat Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Dharmik Malaviya told The Indian Express that the city unit backed Hardik Patel’s statement on Saturday. “We are very much with Hardik on his statement on Twitter,” Malaviya said. “The Congress party is organising a public meeting of Rahul Gandhi in a Patidar-dominated area to get votes from the community. We had shown our anger during Amit Shah’s meeting, and if Congress fails to take a stand [on reservation], we will definitely protest at Gandhi’s meeting.”
On October 21, the Congress had invited Patel to join hands to fight against the BJP in the upcoming Assembly election. On October 28, Patel said he was ready to support the Congress if his community’s demand for reservations in jobs and education were met, the Hindustan Times had reported.
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