Gandhinagar:

Former close aides of PAAS leader Hardik Patel, who have joined BJP, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel today said that if Hardik by misleading the Patidar community tried to do ‘match-fixing’ with Congress by agreeing its offer of EBC quota, the community would not accept it.

Addressing a joint press conference at the BJP state head office at Koba near here this afternoon the duo, who were also the prominent faces of the Patidar quota stir, said that Hardik has now twitted and asked Congress’ stand on quota but he has not made it clear whether he was talking about OBC quota.

Varun said, ‘the Patidar quota stir was about OBC quota to the community. And now for Congress the OBC quota was the only alternative morally. Rahul Gandhi and Congress should make its stand clear as to how the party will provide such reservation to the Patidar community. Congress should not talk about 20% EBC quota to cheat the Patidar community and Hardik must not accept it to mislead the community and do match-fixing with Congress.’

‘BJP, showing a big-heart had given 10% EBC quota to Patidar community last year itself but the matter is now in the larger bench of the Supreme Court. It 10% of quota got tangled in legal issues how can some one talk of 20% EBC quota,’ Varun said adding that one party (without naming the Jan Vikalp Morcha of Shankersinh Vahgela) was even talking of giving 25% EBC quota.

‘Congress was now morally bound to announce OBC quota for Patidar community. Hardik should ask clearly about such a quota and not mislead the community,’ he said.

Reshma said, ‘ Hardik in his tweet has not mentioned OBC word. It has been twitted by him just to pose as a hero.’

To a query Varun said that he was a common ground level worker of BJP and only the party could take a decision on his contesting election or not.

Hardik in a tweet today has said that Congress should make its stand clear before November 3 otherwise his supporters would create ruckus during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Gujarat the way they had done in Surat during an event in presence of Amit Shah.

DeshGujarat