Patels for OBC quota: Now questions over how Hardik Patel mobilized crowd of 5 lakh

When Hardik Patel launched the Maha Kranti Rally in Ahmedabad on 19 August, nobody had expected the protests to become as big as they did. However, speculation is rife about who is really behind the Patel agitation. A  The Times of India report notes that the Gujarat government cautioned the protesters that Hardik Patel was part of a bigger political game which sought to destabilise the Anandiben-led government in Gujarat. “An audio clip, circulated before the Ahmedabad rally in defence of CM Anandiben Patel, hinted at unknown forces behind the agitation. It urged agitating Patels to realise that a conspiracy had been hatched to destabilize the government,” the report said.  There were also are theories that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were backing Hardik in his agitation. [caption id=“attachment_2410112” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “] Hardik Patel. AFP[/caption] “Hardik is very ambitious. He took this opportunity and see how it has changed his life today. Some of his suppoters call him Hardik Kejriwal, while some call him the new Modi,” Livemint quoted a person close to Hardik, as saying on condition of anonymity. Patel, whose family have been strong supporters of the BJP in the past, has, however, always rejected all claims of any political affiliation. Video clips and messages of Patel with Congress MLA Tejashree Patel had surfaced on the social media, but the community leader countered by quickly releasing photos with BJP vice-president Purushottam Rupala and Minister of State for Home Rajnikant Patel to prove his neutrality.

Pictures of Patel with VHP leader Praveen Togadia had also surfaced given the right wing leader isn’t exactly a favourite of the BJP in Gujarat. In his defence, Hardik told The Indian Express , “I met Togadiaji some eight months back at Viramgam, when he had come to attend a function. I have not spoken to him after that.” At his rally in Ahmedabad, Patel assured his followers that no politician held the string as far as his functioning was concerned. “Some say I am backed by Congress; others say I am backed by BJP. Those backing both these parties say I am from AAP. Let me clarify that I am not from any party. I am a Patidar and a Patidar cannot be ruled by anyone,” Hardik Patel had said in his speech. The battle for OBC status has taken a turn for the worse in the state after the rally with  latest reports  stating that eight people have died in clashes so far. Five people died on Tuesday night in Ahmedabad, two of them allegedly in police firing after protesters clashed with police. Two people were killed in Palanpur in north Gujarat on Wednesday, both allegedly in police firing. A policeman, injured during clashes in Surat on Wednesday morning, also died. Patel, the man who mobilized a crowd of almost 5 lakh of the Patidar community and managed an event of that scale, is merely 22 years old. This report in The Times of India noted that the rally grabbed the attention of the media and the public just because of sheer volume of it. Massive public rallies were also organised in places like Viramgam, Himmatnagar, Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Vadodara. The Patels’ agitation could intensify in the coming days and even find support from the higher castes in the state, noted this Hindustan Times report, who do not enjoy benefits of affirmative government action. The agitation could likely play a role in the forthcoming elections in Bihar with Hardik Patel extending his support to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.