“History says Patidar community had whole-heartedly supported the BJP for several years, but BJP ditched them. It is an outburst of being neglected and ignored for ages and what you see happening today, it is just spontaneous.”
Arjun Modhwadia, Senior Congress leader
Mumbai : Thirteen years since Gujarat riots in 2002, on Wednesday, state government had to call for army to control violence on the streets of Ahmedabad following clashes which rocked at least seven districts of BJP-ruled Gujarat since Tuesday after a mega rally demanding OBC status for the Patels.
Meanwhile, state Congress leaders denied their hands in the state-wide agitation against the BJP government led by Anandiben Patel, mentored politically by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as chief minister of Gujarat.
Senior Congress leader and former President of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), Arjun Modhwadia talking to Free Press Journal on Wednesday evening said, “contrary to the allegations leveled by the BJP, Congress has nothing to do with this kind of gigantic agitation. Lakhs of Patels turned up in the rallies and over five lakhs only in the Ahmedabad rally showing solidarity with the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. No political party in Gujarat can single-handedly mobile so many people, check the history.”
While Indian Army jawans have been carrying out flag march on the streets of Ahmedabad, Modhwadia said, “history says Patidar community had whole-heartedly supported the BJP for several years, but BJP ditched them. It is an outburst of being neglected and ignored for ages and what you see happening today, it is just spontaneous.”
The senior Congress leader who himself belongs to Saurashtra region in Gujarat, dominated by the Patels, said, “Patels prospered most during Congress regime in Gujarat and things turned bad for them when BJP came to power. The much-publicised Gujarat development model, which Modi has been selling elsewhere in the country and abroad, actually never existed in Gujarat and Patels were the worst affected.”
Denying vehemently that Congress did not back the ongoing agitation, Modhwadia said, “if everything is well in the state then how lakhs of people from within Gujarat can gather to protest and shout slogans against the BJP government?”
Interestingly, Minister of State for Home, Kiran Rijiju reacting on the prevailing situation in Gujarat had indicated a political conspiracy behind the ongoing agitation. Though he did not mention any Congress hand, local BJP leaders smell a rat and try to brand some of the PAAS leaders as Congressmen.
“We are not in favour or against the demands raised by the Patels. We are only saying that there are a lot of poor people among the Patidar community and they should be extended certain advantages of reservation like other communities which fall under OBC bracket.” Congress has been cautiously waiting and watching the PAAS led agitation and so far has not openly supported the demands raised by the Patel community. “The existing quota system should not be disturbed but there has to be a way to accommodate the poor Patidars also”, Modhwadia added, carefully choosing his words.
Joydeep R Ray
