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Seeking to revive the agitation for OBC quota, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel has appealed the Patidar community to support him to continue the fight.
Speaking at the ‘Patidar Nyay Mahapanchayat' at Moti Malvan in Surendranagar district of Gujarat, Patel attacked the ruling BJP for "attempting to break the agitation". The gathering or the Mahapanchayat was meant to improve unity and cohesion within the community, he said.
Under criticism for not pressing the demand of reservations in jobs and education for the Patidar community aggressively after the last year's Assembly polls, Patel said the agitation was not limited to elections.
It will continue for years, if required, until the demands are met, he said.
Over twelve MLAs of opposition Congress attended the event, dubbed by the PAAS as "part III" of the quota agitation launched in 2015
He recalled the "martyrdom" of 14 persons who were killed during the 2015 agitation.
Though the organisers had invited Patidar MLAs from both the BJP and Congress, no MLA from the ruling party turned up.
Patel said that MLAs from "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's Congress party" came, but those from "Amit Shah's BJP" didn't.
He warned Congress MLAs that they will have to support the community's demands in the Assembly. "Where are other MLAs of Congress? (Leader of Opposition) Paresh Dhanani should have come. We have sent MLAs to the Assembly because we have hopes from you. Today you (Patidar MLAs of Congress) are 16, tomorrow you will be 32. But if you do not speak about us, you will lose," he said.
Representatives from 4,000-odd Patidar-majority villages and PAAS conveners from the tehsil level were invited to the gathering, which saw around 10,000 people in attendance.
Congress MLAs Virji Thummar and Lalit Kagathra also spoke at the Mahapanchayat.
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