Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress has decided to go ahead with its tomorrow rally demanding release of Patel quota stir leaders like Hardik Patel and his top aides who are behind bars, even as the police has denied permission for it.
“We had sought permission to hold the ‘Daman Pratikar Rally’ from the Ahmedabad police long back, but till today we were not given any reply granting permission. Today, just a day ahead of the rally, they have denied us permission,” senior Congress leader Siddarth Patel said.
“Gujarat government has attacked the democratic rights of the opposition to hold a rally. Earlier, they in an undemocratic way filed false cases against Patel youths and have put them behind bars, now they are denying permission to us a take out a rally, this is totally undemocratic,” Patel said.
“Inspite of the denial of permission our programme stays. We will take out a massive rally tomorrow from Gandhi Ashram,” Patel said.
“The party’s demand is of withdrawal of all the cases against Patidar youths and release of all the jailed Patel quota agitation leaders,” he added.
The BJP today alleged the Congress rally is aimed at taking social life of the Gujarat on the “route of clashes” between caste.
“This is the old habit of the Congress to take benefits in form of votes by dividing societies on caste and community lines,” BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said.
“By taking out this rally they want to spread enmity between different caste in the state,” Jadeja claimed, adding, now it has become clear to the people that “Congress was behind” the Patel quota stir.
He said the Gujarat government had already withdrawn all the non-serious criminal cases against the Patel youths last Saturday.
“As the government has withdrawn minor cases against Patel youths, the Congress is gripped with fear and that is the reason they are organising such rallies,” he claimed.
However, the Gujarat government has not withdrawn serious cases like sedition slapped on Hardik Patel and his aides till date.