Hardik Patel announces ‘lollipop movement’ against Gujarat’s govt’s package

The 22-year-old Mr Patel, who is the face of an agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges for Patels, alleges that the package does not offer anything substantial to his community.

Yesterday morning, around 11, he surfaced in Surendrangar district where, he claims, his alleged abductors – “who looked like policemen” in plain clothes – had dropped him. It asked the petitioners that when the petition was pending before the court why then they opted to go to media instead. Nobody can take court proceeding for a ride.

The judge questioned the veracity of his charges of abduction and being kept in illegal custody and remarked, “If you tell one lie, you will have to tell a hundred lies”. Stating that the agitation will continue, he said the community’s stand on the announcement will be declared after all the members of PAAS express their feelings on it. Meanwhile, the agitators resorted to stone pelting at Surat when BJP workers started bursting crackers after declaration of the package.

The government pleader on his part stated that the court must punish if police is found guilty of detaining Hardik from Tuesday afternoon and requested tough action against Hardik if he is found to be wanting in speaking the truth about his disappearance. The Court also directed Hardik’s lawyer to remain present on the next hearing on September 29 to substantiate the allegations leveled by him in the petition.

Amid reservation demands, Gujarat government is likely to announce a special scheme for general category students from the economically weaker section.

A senior minister in the government said on condition of anonymity that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel would make the announcement during a function here tomorrow. The “Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavlamban Yojana” (Chief Minister’s Youth Self-Reliance Scheme) will benefit the students, irrespective of caste whose family income is not more than Rs 4.5 lakh per annum. She said it was unfortunate that the pro-reservation agitation by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had lost direction and its leadership had fallen into wrong hands.

The government will not only fix the fee structure of self-financed institutions but will also pay the fees of such meritorious students, she added.