Hardik’s presence in Surat on a day when Rahul also there raises questions, his appearance at crime branch wasn’t compulsory today

Surat:

PAAS convener Hardik Patel denies his earlier alleged ‘secret’ meeting with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in a five-star hotel in Ahmedabad but his presence here again today on a day when Rahul is to conclude his 3 day Gujarat visit here tonight, is raising questions as well as many eyebrows.

Hardik has cited his appearance in the crime branch office in connection with a sedition case here today as the main reason behind his presence in the city.

But the fact of the matter is that it was not compulsory for him to appear before the crime branch today. He could have chosen any day from November 1 to 7 for the same.

This was also confirmed by a crime branch official.

‘Earlier up to six months since his re-entry in Gujarat in January this year after completion of his six months exile as per the bail condition of the sedition case, it was compulsory for him to make an appearance every Thursday here before crime branch. After that period (which completed almost four months ago), he was free to chose any date of the first week of each month for his appearance,’ an ACP rank official said.

Now eyebrows are being raised as to why Hardik chose November 3 ie today for the appearance before crime branch in Surat. Was it deliberate to be in the city under this pretext on a day when Rahul is again there and is even likely to make a night stay. Will there again be a ‘secret’ meeting between the two.

Hardik while talking to newsmen claimed that he was not going to meet Rahul in Surat despite being here but speculations were still on.

A Patidar leader said,’ it was an open secret that Hardik was being backed by Congress for electoral gains. He was nothing but a puppet of the party. Even our community has now become fully aware of it. Much has been said about the CCTV footage of Taj Ummed Hotel of Ahmedabad in which he was seen entering the hotel from the back-door in the dark of night and even meeting Rahul (which he denies) and coming out with a ‘ mysterious’ hand bag. Who knows there might again be a secret meeting for such ‘bag-exchange’ tonight as well.’

He said that Hardik’s tricks were now known to the Patidar community and the commoners. Even his close former aides like Varun Patel and Reshma have alleged that he was making money in the name of the agitation. He was now playing as an agent trying to get some more money by arranging tickets. He talks of opposing BJP but was unable to explain as to what was wrong when BJP accepts the demands of Patidar community. When Congress duplicates the same things and announce hypothetical things, he welcomes it. He obstructed BJP by putting forth OBC quota issue time and again but now he is ready to accept the EBC offer of the Congress. He is trying to act smart but people in out community were not fool. He is already in the lap of Congress.

Interestingly Hardik who after landslide win of BJP in UP elections earlier this year had even said that the party might again win in Gujarat is now trying to create a ground for his possible explanation in that event.

Today Hardik twitted that BJP would do ‘golmal’ in the election as 3550 VVPAT machines have failed.
Hardik’s aide Reshma Patel who was party in the apex court for conduct of Gujarat election with EVMs fitted with VVPAT machines is now with BJP and has made allegations that Hardik has become an agent of Congress. Many of his close former aides have left him with similar allegations.

Even the leading organizations of Patidar community including the ones which have indisputable voice among the Kadva faction of the community to which Hardik himself belongs to, have alleged that he was running the quota agitation as a private affair and was trying to mislead the community.

DeshGujarat