Hardik Patel threatens to "spoil game" in Bihar; will hold 4 rallies

Ahmedabad, Sep 18: Alleging that BJP has chosen to maintain a stoic silence over atrocities on Patels, quota stir leader Hardik Patel today threatened to "spoil the game" of all in poll-bound Bihar by holding four rallies next month in the state.

"We will spoil the game of all. We will not forgive those who killed our youths. Not one BJP leader has uttered a single word over atrocities on the Patel community. We will hold four grand rallies in Bihar next month," Hardik said here.

"We will conduct a brainstorming session with all the 197 conveners of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in Gujarat about those rallies. Along with that, workers of Patel Navnirman Sena from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will go to Bihar to ensure success of these rallies of our community," added Hardik.

The 22-year-old leader of the Patidar community of Gujarat, has been spearheading the agitation to get reservation for Patel community under Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

Hardik had created a flutter with his aggressive speech at a big rally on August 25. Incidents of violence that rocked the state after he was briefly detained by police left 10 people dead.

At the rally, which was held as a show of strength to press their demand of OBC quota before the BJP-led Gujarat government, Hardik had said, "Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar is our (community) member."

In turn, Kumar had praised Hardik, whom he described as "young and emerging leader" for organising the agitation for a "just cause".

Hardik's close associate and spokesperson of PAAS, Chirag Patel today said they will mobilise the Patel community members from all over the country to Bihar.

"We will mobilise people of the Patel community from entire country to Bihar and will hold rallies there in a bid to raise the issue of police atrocities on our people," Chirag said.

When asked if they will campaign against BJP, he said, "That is not our look out who will bear loss and who will gain. We will just raise our issues."

He said the date and the venue of the rallies will be decided after consulting the conveners of PAAS and the newly formed Patel Navnirman Sena.

Bihar will witness five-phased polls starting from October 12, where stakes are high for NDA led by Narendra Modi and Maha Gathbandhan led by Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav.

PTI