Update: Hardik Patel ended his “fast-unto-death” at 3 pm today.

Ahmedabad: In apparently a ‘big fiasco’ Hardik Patel Patel will end his so-called indefinite fast unto death without any of his three demands met by government. Hardik’s Congress aide outfit PAAS today announced that he would end the fast today at 3 pm.

In an apparent lame-duck face saving announcement Manoj Panara of PAAS said that the seniors of the community and everyone else want to see Hardik healthy to continue his fight. ‘ On 19th day of his fast Hardik will do the Parna at 3 pm today. Khodaldham trust chairman Naresh Patel and Umiyadham chief Prahlad Patel will make him do the Parna in presence of other seniors of the community including the members of other prominent outfits of Patidar community. The proposal for it was put forth in front of conveners PAAS today and was approved,’ he said.

Notably, the state government this time around maintained its tough stance through-out. It refused to budge to the apparent tricks and ultimatums of Hardik and his camp.

The government maintained its stand that Hardik who had supported Congress openly in last assembly election and prior to that was backed by the party and his fast was a stunt with intention to give political benefit to the party in next LS poll.

Panara said that the agitation on three demands would continue.

Congress and Anti Narendra Modi camp also tried to give a boost to Hardik’s fast and several of its leaders paid visits to him at his ‘Chhavni’ in his Greenwood resort residence off SG Highway here.

Realizing that the fast has turned into a big fiasco due to lack of response from people at large and the government, Hardik’s camp was reportedly active for past few days to somehow end the fast, which was also being ridiculed and seen with suspicion by many.

Interestingly Hardik, who rose to fame from quite a low profile mainly due to Patidar quota agitation and used to term each of the sops to the non-reserved category by the BJP government in the state including Mukhyamantri Yuva Swawlamban Yojana, Commission and Corporation for such category as lollipop, has now almost backtracked on the issue.

Most of those came to support him including many Congress leaders kept a mum on their support on OBC like quota to Patidar community.

Hardik was discharged from private sector SGVP hospital on September 9 and taken to his Greenwood resort residence where he continued his indefinite fast on day 16 which so far till day 19 has proved to be a great fiasco of sorts.

Government has continued its somewhat tough stance despite ‘hollow’ ultimatums from PAAS camp.

In a back-track of sorts Hardik had to twice start taking water at his own after giving it up during his somewhat controversial fast unto death in which despite long fast his health showed no significant sign of deterioration.

Interestingly in the ICU of hospitals also he continued to use his smartphone and social media campaign. He started tweeting from the hospital bed of the government run Sola civil hospital two days back when he was taken there with so-called problem in breathing. All his reports came normal and his deputies started crying foul and shifted him to SGVP hospital the same night. There also, no big issue with his health was found and he was discharged.

Hardik has so far not received any response from BJP government which says that he was Congress backed and was doing this stunt for political reasons.

He had started his fast with three demands of farmers loan waiver, Patidar reservation and release of his aide Alpesh Kathiria arrested in sedition case from Jail, at his residence in Greenwood resort on August 25. Looking at the past violence and hooliganism during his earlier events, the state police denied him permission to hold fast outside. He had earlier stopped taking water on August 30 and 31 and then started taking it again on September 1. He again gave up water on September 6 and started taking water again on September 9.

During his claimed 19-day fast, Hardik stopped taking water twice but later started taking water voluntarily without any demand met or even formally heard by government. Hardik had started fast vowing to die if demands are not met by government, but he choose hospitalization voluntarily during fast. Since end of the August, Hardik was not allowing government doctors to take blood and sugar samples. Such tests only can prove genuineness of any fast. Hardik in later stage also refused to allow him to weigh by government doctors. No medical bulletins were issued by his personal doctor in the course of fast. This had created suspicion whether he was actually on fast or not. During the course of fast, Hardik aides also declared his will, apparently to create hype that he was actually on fast and dying. Mismatch in weight loss and gain due to his posture of standing on scale was another highlight of Hardik’s fast.

On September 7 ie the 14th day he was admitted to Sola civil hospital and when all the reports including Kidney and Liver function tests came quite normal, his aides got him released from there alleging they do not have faith in government hospital. He was taken to SGVP hospital. He was given intravenous fluid but he did not take water orally. PAAS claimed that his fast was on.

Eyebrows were also raised as to how he had no health complications even after 14 days of fast and giving up water for long. During his fast so far PAAS has given ultimatum after ultimatum to the government but it did not budge.

Interestingly Hardik, known for his unruly and arrogant behavior, had in a failed attempt to get some support , alleged that a DCP rank official who was looking after the badobast of security close to his fast venue was working at the government’s instance and has threatened to eliminate him. Hardik has in his tweets named some big BJP leaders seemingly in a desperate attempt to give some fuel to his otherwise failed fast agitation. He has alleged that DCP Jaipal Rathod has been given free hand by these leaders to deal with him.

Meanwhile, his former aide and now BJP leader Ketan Patel said that Hardik has been compelled to end the fast because the Patidar community has become fully aware about his tricks. ‘Most of the demands of the PAAS were accepted by the government in the meeting in November last year, Several other sops beneficial for the community and other non-reserved castes have also been declared but on one pretext or the other Hardik and his camp was trying to keep the agitation alive for political reasons,’ he said.

DeshGujarat