“There are many who will take up the mantle after I’m gone, just as Bhagat Singh rose after Batukeshwar Dutt,” said Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel, who is on the third day of his Indefinite Hunger strike. His demands are reservation for the Patidar community and a total loan waiver for farmers in the state.
Heavy police presence was seen near Hardik Patel’s residence in Ahmedabad. Hardik started his Hunger strike on Saturday, 25 August, on the third anniversary of the Patidar Maha Rally held in Ahmedabad.
The Maha Rally was marked by acts of rioting and vandalism and 14 people were killed on that day. Fearing a similar backlash, Gujarat police has detained over 158 persons and are preventing Patidar activists and PAAS members from reaching Hardik’s home.