Ahmedabad:

A day before the proposed indefinite fast of Congress backed PAAS leader Hardik Patel here, the order of the sessions court here on the plea of state government to cancel his bail in Ramol rioting case could not be delivered today due to the judge being on leave.

The court of ADJ Chauhan who has completed the hearing on the plea will now pronounce its order on August 27, public prosecutor Sudhir Brahambhatt informed.

The case pertains to the attack on the residence of BJP corporator of the AMC Paresh Patel in Astha Bungalows in Vastral area of the city on March 20, 2017. The state government has sought cancellation of Hardik’s bail due to his conduct and alleged violation of the bail conditions (entering Ramol area) while the PAAS leader wants revision of the bail condition including giving him permission to enter in Ramol area. The hearing on the matter has been completed and the verdict was likely today but now it would be pronounced on August 27.

Meanwhile, official permission for his proposed fast from tomorrow has not been granted. Hardik has however said that he would sit on fast at his Ahmedabad residence off SG highway even if permission was not granted. He has also questioned the imposition of section 144 in the city. Hardik has claimed that the BJP government was pressurizing his land-lord to make him vacate the house.

Notably, Hardik has announced to sit on indefinite fast on the issue of loan-waiver of farmers, reservation to Patidar community and employment and other issues. He had earlier sought a venue in Patidar dominant Narol area for the event and later in Satyagrah Chhavni ground in capital Gandhinagar but was denied permission for the same. The Gandhinagar district administration today rejected the application by local PAAS leader U Patel in this connection after adverse police opinion. He had expressed apprehension about his bail in Ramol case getting cancelled to stop him from sitting him on fast but stressed that he would sit on fast even in the jail if that happened.

His former close aide and now BJP leader Reshma Patel today said that Hardik has no agenda at all and he was trying to do the stunt to somehow keep his business going on. ‘If he has a clear-cut agenda let him put before the people. But it is not the case. He is to show his own ‘Herogiri’ even though it was detrimental to the community,’ She said.

Meanwhile, around 15 of his supporters including PAAS convener Manish Donga have been detained in Rajkot while they were trying to come here to support Hardik.

Hardik told newsmen today that his supporters were being detained and arrested to foil his event. He claimed that on first two days there might be little participants in his event but after that the number would increase manifold.
He has now claimed that West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee and her Delhi counterpart and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal would come to Ahmedabad to lend support to his indefinite fast.

Talking to newsmen here today, a day before his proposed fast on farmer’s loan waiver and patidar reservation issue, Hardik, whom many critics call ‘tall-mouthed’ for his big claims and attention grabbing gimmicks, said that many national leaders would come here to support his fast event which he would go-ahead with at his residence here if no permission to do it outdoors was granted.

He said that he had discussions with several leaders including Begnal CM Mamta Banerjee, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena supremo Udhav Thackeray, former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Actor turned politician Raj Babbar. ‘They will come here one by one from August 27,’ he claimed.

Hardik said that they have supported his fast and many of them would come here to remain physically present for the same. ‘They will come one by one from August 27,’ he claimed.

He said that if police allows him to do the fast in Gandhinagar then also he would go there otherwise in case of no permission he would do it peacefully at his residence in Ahmedabad. If he is jailed he would continue it there too.

Hardik and other two accused of July 2015 case pertaining to attack on the office of the then BJP MLA Rushikesh Patel in Visnagar of Mahesana had appeared in the local court there to complete the formality regarding regular bail. The High Court had withheld the lower court order of last month in which Hardik, SPG president Lalji Patel and another accused A K Patel were given 2 years simple jail terms and fine.

DeshGujarat