Gujarat govt withdraws sedition cases against Patidar leaders

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has withdrawn sedition and other serious cases filed against Patidar movement leaders, including Hardik Patel, Dilip Sabva, Alpesh Kathiriya, and Lalji Patel.

The decision, announced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s government, was met with widespread appreciation from Patidar leaders and community members.

Viramgam MLA and prominent Patidar leader Hardik Patel took to social media to express his gratitude, stating, “During the Patidar agitation, several serious cases, including sedition, were filed against me and many youths from the community. Today, the government led by Bhupendra Patel has withdrawn these cases. On behalf of the community, I sincerely thank the BJP government of Gujarat.”

The Patidar Andolan, which began in 2015 in Gujarat, was a major socio-political movement led by the Patidar (Patel) community, demanding reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for better access to government jobs and education.

The movement, spearheaded by Hardik Patel and the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), started with peaceful protests but gained momentum with a massive rally on August 25, 2015, in Ahmedabad, drawing over 5 lakh people.

However, the situation escalated when police detained Hardik Patel, leading to violent clashes, arson, internet shutdowns, and police firing, resulting in the death of 14 Patidar protestors. The Gujarat government responded with a crackdown, arrests, and sedition charges against several leaders, including Hardik Patel.

Despite multiple legal battles and the Gujarat High Court rejecting their OBC demand, the movement influenced Gujarat’s 2017 Assembly Elections, significantly impacting the BJP’s political stronghold, as many Patidars shifted their support to the opposition Congress.

Over the years, several key Patidar leaders, including Hardik Patel, joined mainstream politics, with Hardik himself later joining the BJP in 2022.

Patidar leaders, including Dinesh Bambhania, also took to social media to celebrate the decision. Bambhania posted, “The cases filed during the agitation, including sedition charges, have been withdrawn. I thank CM Bhupendra Patel and say, ‘Satyamev Jayate, Jai Sardar’.”

While Patidar leaders welcomed the withdrawal, other political leaders raised concerns about cases from different movements.

MLA Alpesh Thakor urged the government to extend the same relief to those involved in OBC and Dalit agitations. “If the government is withdrawing cases from the Patidar movement, then it should also withdraw cases filed during the OBC and Dalit movements,” he asserted.

PAAS leader Chirag Patel and MLA Kirit Patel, however, expressed scepticism, stating that no official announcement had been made by the government yet.

“While Hardik Patel has tweeted about it, the government has not made an official statement. We await further clarification,” said Kirit Patel.

Former PAAS convener and BJP leader Alpesh Kathiriya confirmed that 14 cases related to the Patidar movement had been withdrawn, adding that efforts were underway for additional cases from 2017 onwards.

“We have presented this demand multiple times, and we hope the government will soon make an official declaration,” he said.

IANS