A Patidar threatens to die if no quota by evening, police searched, found him

Ahmedabad

Police control room in Ahmedabad today received a phone call for an unidentified person who claimed he was from Patidar community and he would commit suicide if Patidar community is not given Other Backward Class(OBC) inclusion by evening. Police traced the mobile number and found the caller was Mukesh Patel, resident of Sarang flat in Nikol area of Ahmedabad east. When police reached Mukesh’s residence, Mukesh was not there. Mukesh’s wife said Mukesh was not at home. Police is now in search of Mukesh Manubhai Patel. Police has also found that Mukesh had debt and that could be the reason for his frustration. When media visited Mukesh’s residence, his wife was crying worrying about her husband. Police is taking the matter seriously as one person from Patidar community had earlier committed suicide in Rajkot in connection of ongoing Patidar agitation. Another person from the community in Surat had recently threatened self immolation in connection with the agitation, but later dropped the idea. Some groups of Patidar community(Patels) are fighting with the stat government to demand inclusion in Other Backward Class(OBC)to avail reservation in government jobs and education institutes. Such demand was turned down by OBC Commission in 1990s as the commission found Patidars were economically, socially and political representation wise not backward.

Update: Mukesh was detained in the evening when he returned home. Police said he had called the control room with he was drunk. Police also said that Mukesh is unemployed and has Rs 9 lakh debt. When media persons spoke to Mukesh he said he wants to give sacrifice of his life for the cause of reservation.

– DeshGujarat