Patels Anticipate Arrest in Preparation for Phase 2 of Quota Stir

The agitators have called for a Jail Bharo movement on Sunday after talks with Gujarat government on 11 April failed

Resuming their agitation for reservation, members of the Patel community will court arrest en masse in Mehsana on Sunday as part of the second round of the stir.

The agitation is taking shape even as the Mehsana Collector Lochan Sehra has said that a notice has been issued to the campaign organisers terming it as illegal.

The organisers had intimated the mamlatdar (government official) that they are going to hold ‘jail bharo andolan’. The mamlatdar has served them notice stating that they can’t hold the stir as it is illegal. They have also been told that they will be held responsible for any law and order problem.

Lochan Sehra, Mehsana Collector

Agitators under the banner of Sardar Patel Group (SPG) with the support of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) will gather in Mehsana to form a human chain.

They will then move towards the Mehsana sub-jail and court arrest, a senior SPG member said. He claimed that around 50,000-1 lakh agitators from across Gujarat are expected to reach Mehsana.

Talks Failed but Compromise Still an Option

The agitation has received fresh life after the talks with Gujarat government over the 27-point demands on 11 April failed.

SPG convener Lalji Patel said the planned ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation is being organised as their one-month ultimatum to the government to concede to the demands expired with “no favourable result”.

We had given the government one-month ultimatum to meet our demands. But during this period, the government only talked and did nothing. This has forced us to go ahead with our planned agitation.

Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, presently in judicial custody, has agreed to a compromise only if it is on the favour of the Patel community. He said so while he was being produced before a local court.

A Committee of Ministers headed by state Health Minister Nitin Patel, formed to negotiate with the Patel leaders, had recently handed over a report on a compromise formula to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

(With PTI inputs)