Ahmedabad : Till recently, Gujarat Congress leaders were avoiding speaking to the media against its working president and Patidar leader Hardik Patel.
But now the party’s spokesman and Patel leader Manhar Patel has hit out against Hardik Patel for the latter’s ‘baseless’ allegations and claims, saying that the Patidar leader never met the party’s national or state leaders to discuss his issues.
“Hardik Patel is claiming that the national leaders are not meeting him, but the fact is he never sought their time to discuss his issues. He met Rahul Gandhi in Dahod recently, and yet he is unhappy and dissatisfie. He has to discuss his issues with the party leaders, and not the media,” Manhar Patel said.
Replying to Hardik Patel’s claim that the party is not giving him work, Manhar Patel said that one has to reach out to the people first.
“Hardik Patel is the working president, he doesn’t need to ask for work. He only has to go the people and connect the party with them, raise their issues,” Manhar Patel said,
Mocking Hardik Patel’s ‘injustice’ claim, the Congress spokesman said, “Hardik feels if his demands are not met by the Congress, the party is doing injustice to him. Can this be called injustice?”
According to Manhar Patel, Gujarat Congress President Jagdish Thakor and party in-charge Raghu Sharma had called Hardik Patel twice to discuss his issues, but he never turned up for the meeting, which means he has no issues, and is only defaming the party by levelling baseless allegations in the media.
Hardik Patel and other Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders had a meeting with Leuva Patidar leader and Khodaldham managing trustee Naresh Patel on Sunday. After the meeting, Hardik Patel said publicly that he and the other leaders would like to work with Naresh Patel, if the latter enters politics and joins any party.
Party sources, however, said that since Naresh Patel is a taller leader than Hardik Patel with more followers in the state, the latter fears that if Naresh Patel joins the Congress, his political weightage in the party will diminish.
Some other Congress leaders also commented on Hardik Patel’s recent actions.
“The party will take a decision about indiscipline at an appropriate time. I am a small worker to advice Hardik Patel, who is a leader,” said Bharatsinh Solanki, former President of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).
“If someone wants to quit the party, he should make a decision. But till the time someone is in the party, he should not cross the line. The party has given him a post and responsibility, which Hardik Patel must discharge,” said Arjun Modhavadia, former GPCC President ex-Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
–IANS
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