Gandhinagar:

Congress delegation with party MLAs and senior leaders including LoP Paresh Dhanani and former state president Siddharth Patel today met CM Vijay Rupani here and requested him to talk to party backed PAAS leader Hardik Patel who was on indefinite fast for 13 days (since August 25)

Later talking to newsmen Patel and Dhanani said that the CM gave them a patient hearing.

Dhanani said that if the government did not initiate steps on their demands to regarding talks with Hardik to end his fast and save his life. Congress would hold 24 hours fast at all the district headquarters in Gujarat from 11 am tomorrow.

Patel said that a memorandum regarding loan waiver and other issues pertaining to farmers, better educational and health facilities and employment opportunities for youth and release of PAAS leader Alpesh Kathiria from jail in sedition case and withdrawal of all the cases pertaining to patidar quota agitation (including the 3 issues raised by Hardik) was also handed over to the CM.

He gave us a patient hearing, Patel said adding that the government should not create such a situation where those opposing government should be booked under sedition .

Patel said that government should talk to Hardik at the earliest and resolve the matter and the three justified issues raised by him.

Dhanani said that the condition of farmers in the state was miserable and the government was not bothered at all even after 13 days of fast by Hardik who was also the son of a farmer. ‘Government must talk directly to him and save his life and give a new lease of life to him,’ he said.

Earlier former union minister Dinsha Patel had a meeting with Hardik at his residence in Ahmedabad today.

DeshGujarat