Nine years after 14 lives were lost during the peak of Patidar agitation and a number of cases, including sedition charges, filed against Patidar leaders, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Gujarat has reportedly decided to withdraw cases against BJP MLA Hardik Patel and other leaders.
However, there is no official confirmation from the state government.
Hardik spearheaded the agitation that had far and wide reach in the state, especially in Saurashtra. The Patidars under the banner of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) demanded Other Backward Class (OBC) status for the Patidar community.
Hardik Patel, now the MLA from Viramgam in Ahmedabad district, expressed his gratitude on X on Friday, stating, “Today, Bhupendra Patel government has withdrawn the cases of serious sedition, including those against me, that were filed during the Patidar agitation in Gujarat. On behalf of the community, I express special gratitude to the BJP government of Gujarat.”
He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, acknowledging the movement’s impact in securing benefits such as the formation of a commission and corporation for non-reserved categories, the implementation of a Rs 1,000 crore youth self-reliance scheme, and the provision of 10% economic-based reservation for upper castes in India.
The Patidar agitation, which began in July 2015, gained momentum with a massive demonstration in Ahmedabad on August 25, drawing thousands.
The movement turned violent, leading to curfews in several cities, property damage worth crores, and clashes with law enforcement. Despite government talks, the protests reignited in September, prompting further unrest.
The state government later introduced economic reservations, but the Gujarat High Court struck down the 10% quota in 2016.
Year 2016 also saw the then chief minister Anandiben Patel resigning from the post citing 75 years as the criterion decided by the BJP for “retirement”. It was alleged that she had to resign for her alleged failure to handle the Patidar stir.
In 2019, a constitutional amendment granted a 10% reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), which the Supreme Court upheld in 2022.
During the agitation, Hardik emerged as a key leader. He was later charged with sedition, along with Alpesh Kathiriya, Chirag Patel, and Dinesh Bambhania.
The Patidar community had long demanded the withdrawal of these cases, which the Bhupendra Patel-led government has now reportedly initiated.
According to Bambhania, a total of 14 cases registered at police stations in Ahmedabad, Surat, Gandhinagar, and Mehsana are being withdrawn. “The state government has decided to drop cases, including those against Hardik Patel, Alpesh Kathiriya, and Chirag Patel. However, we await an official announcement from the government,” said Bambhania.
Hardik, who initially opposed the BJP, joined the party ahead of the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. He had previously been expelled from the Sardar Patel Group (SPG) before founding PAAS. His political journey saw him join the Congress, but he later switched allegiance to the BJP.
Chirag Patel said, “There has been no official government notification yet, and we are waiting for further communication.”
Kathiriya added, “We have been demanding the withdrawal of these cases for a long time. The state government was informed about them two months ago, but at that time, they were not included in the list.”
Sources in the Patidar community told Vibes of India that the state government will have to do the formality of informing the courts about the withdrawal of cases.
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