“Everyone should help everyone by forgetting the controversy, religion, and caste,” these are the words of Hardik Patel. The tone of Hardik, who once said ‘no one but Patidar’, has suddenly changed. With a statement from the Union Health Minister and BJP leader Mansukh Mandavia, he has taken a direct U-turn in his attitude and speech.
The Congress acting president, who visited Rajkot on Wednesday, is witnessing a change in tone regarding the Patidar community. Reacting to Mansukh’s statement a few days ago, “Patidar means BJP”, Hardik said, “Every political party should work with the society for the development of Gujarat. Everyone should forget the controversy, religion, caste—all these things and help everyone.”
His statement has seen a change in the tone of the Patidar community. Hardik is the leader of the Congress and now with the 2022 elections coming up, the statement to keep the whole society together seems to be very suggestive and political.
After the formation of the Patidar Reserve Movement Committee (Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti) by him, Hardik was seen as an agitating leader and fighting the issues of the Patidar community. His image as a Patidar leader was so strong that Hardik was confined to one society only. Now that he is the acting president of the Congress, Hardik is choosing not to be confined to the Patidar community.
He also said that “if Patidar means BJP, then Mansukh should come to the aid of Professor Vaghasia who is in a coma in Rajkot”. Many Patidar leaders disagreed with Mansukh’s statement on ‘Patidar means BJP’ at a meeting in Rajkot. In this regard, Patidar Samaj leader Naresh Patel said that Patidar Samaj is a very big society. The BJP, the Congress, and the AAP are linked by ideology, so Mansukh’s statement may be personal. So the SPG also disagreed with this statement.
After Hardik became the state leader of the Congress, the Congress did not get the desired result in the local body elections in Saurashtra, so questions were being raised about his popularity at the village level. With the 2022 elections looming, he is talking about keeping the entire community together.