Surat

Amid the ongoing ‘truce’ efforts to end the vexed Patidar stir issue, BJP MP from Porbander and a prominent Patel farmer leader from Saurashtra region, Vithal Radadiya, who is playing the role of a ‘government backed mediator’ today again met Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel in Lajpore central Jail here and claimed that the jailed PAAS leader ended his fast today.

This was the second such meeting between Hardik and Radadiya since February 23.

After around an hour long meeting, Radadiya told newsmen outside the jail that today he discussed 27 issues including constitution of a Patidar Commission, withdrawal of stir related cases, release of jailed leaders, issues pertaining to farmers and opening of schools at district and Taluka level with Hardik out of the total 35 issues raised in the first meeting on February 23.

‘I will meet the Chief Minister again and hope that the issues will be resolved in four to five days,’ he said.
To a query regarding the stir related cases in which charge-sheets have already been filed, the BJP MP said that the state government has full authority to withdraw any of the cases filed by it.

Patidar leaders like Mahesh Savani, Mukesh Patel, Sanjay Movaliya were also present during the meeting.

He said that Hardik today ended his fast by taking home-made food. ‘He took food from the tiffin brought by Ravi Patel today. Yesterday he had refused to do so,’ Radadiya.

The BJP MP after his first meeting with the PAAS leader, who is in jail here since October last year in connection with a sedition case, had revealed that he had met Hardik at the behest of the Chief Minister. He also met the CM on the next day.

– DeshGujarat