New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined urgent hearing on Patidar leader Hardik Patel’s plea seeking suspension of his conviction in a case of rioting and arson in Mehsana district of Gujarat during the Patidar quota stir in 2015, in a setback to his hopes to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Patel, 25, had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Gujarat High Court which had in August last year suspended his jail sentence but not the conviction. He had joined Congress on March 12 and was given a party ticket to contest the election from Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Patel’s counsel today mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra which declined urgent hearing by saying when the conviction was given in August 2018, then why should it be heard now. His petition had pleaded for urgent hearing since the last date for filing the nomination papers is April 4. The state will go to polls on April 23.
A trial court in Mehsana had sentenced the Patidar leader to two years imprisonment in July last year for his involvement in rioting and arson during a Patidar quota protest in 2015. As per rules and the Representation of the People (RP) Act, a candidate who is convicted and is facing a prison term of two years or more, cannot contest polls unless the same is stayed by a court. On July 23, 2015, a rally demanding reservation for the Patidars had turned violent in Visnagar and the office of then BJP MLA from the area Rishikesh Patel was ransacked. An FIR was lodged against eight people.
