BackAmid protests, BJP puts up big Patel show in Amit Shah’s presence
The event is seen as a step towards rebuilding the Patel vote bank as many of its members are seen to be moving away from BJP over demands for reservation
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Ahmedabad: As many as 100,000 people from the Patel community attended a function in Surat on Thursday to honour Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators after a reshuffle in the Vijay Rupani-led Gujarat cabinet in August. BJP president Amit Shah attended the meeting.
The event is seen as a step towards rebuilding the Patel vote bank as many of its members are seen to be moving away from the party over demands for reservation in government jobs.
Besides, it is also expected to send a message to agitating leaders from the community including Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel that the community—the most loyal vote bank of the party for over two decades now—is still with the BJP.
“From 1995 to 2016, Patels have contributed immensely to BJP’s success in Gujarat. We are sure that the community will keep supporting us in future," Shah said in his short speech.
The event, however, turned chaotic when some agitating members of the community hurled chairs and shouted slogans. There were also reports of stone pelting and the police had lob tear gas shells to control the situation. BJP leaders including Shah, chief minister Rupani and state party chief Jitu Vaghani made brief speeches, and the event was hurriedly wound up.
The powerful and influential Patel community forms about 14% of the electorate in Gujarat, where elections are to be held by December 2017.
The felicitation ceremony was organized by Patidar Abhivadan Samaroh Samiti, formed by Patel businessmen including diamond merchants and textile mill owners. Shah along with Rupani, Vaghani and 43 BJP MLAs were felicitated on Thursday. Deputy chief minster Nitin Patel did not attend the event as he has recently undergone a surgery.
Posters by the agitating Patel community came up in various parts of the city protesting against Shah’s visit, calling the event an eyewash.
The agitating Patel community members have been disrupting BJP public meetings for over a year now. They also raised slogans at a 30 August public function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi near Jamnagar, where he had come to inaugurate the first phase of a ₹ 12,000 crore irrigation project.
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