Show strength through ballots: Keshubhai, Togadia exhort Patels

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Surat, June 12 (UNI) The Patidar leadership, representing the politically powerful Patel caste in Gujarat, have expressed their displeasure at Chief Minister Narendra Modi for ''leaving them out of governance'' and resolved to show their power through the ballot to defeat the ''designs of their enemies.'' Former state Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and Viswa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia have exhorted the community to ''show their strength in ballot and not bullets to defeat the enemy designs to sidetrack them from the power centre.'' Leaders of the Patel community, who are traditional supporters of the BJP and dominate in Saurashtra and Kutch regions of the state, did not hide their anger against Mr Modi but stopped short of blaming him for ignoring the community, at the Patidar Conference rally here late last night, designed to launch an awareness campaign against their ''marginalisation.'' Mr Patel, due to address the late night rally here in this town of diamonds and textiles, could not make it because of 'health reasons'' as the octogenarian politician complaining of chest pains.

When it seemed that the ruling group would treat Mr Patel's absence as their victory, the BJP rebels made Mr Patel give his message to the community over a mobile and played it before the largely-attended rally in Dharukawala College Grounds.

While Mr Patel asked the community to use their 'vote power' if they felt ignored, Mr Togadia, a one time ally of Mr Modi, carried forward the attack by saying that the Patidar community should not hesitate to use their franchise power to ''teach a lesson or two to the enemy.'' In a veiled attack against the acquisition of lands for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the controversial power purchase made by the Modi government, Mr Togadia said they had ''always regarded the assault on ''dharti, roti and beti'' (land, food and our daughters) as serious and ''resisted all such attempts right from Maharana Pratap's days.'' ''When these things are under attack again, in a democracy, we have to teach the violators a lesson through the ballot. We can't possess guns, bullets or bombs... a vote is the only weapon in our hand and we have to exercise it'', he said, at the rally viewed as ''flexing of muscles'' against Mr Modi by the BJP dissidents.

As many as eight BJP MLAs including Mr Modi's principle detractors, Gordhanbhai Zadaphia and Bavkubhai Undhar and MPs like Dr Vallabhbhai Kathiria attended the rally, notwithstanding the pressure exerted on them by the party leadership to dissuade them from attending the meeting.

However, the organisers in their attempt to make the event seem a community function, felicitated Patel leaders from other parties like Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and former Union Minister Urmilaben Patel at the event.

The dissidents have announced that they would hold similar rallies at Rajot in July and Mehsana districts in August.

UNI

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