May support Cong, hints Hardik Patel

PATIDAR LEADER DISMISSES REPORTS THAT HE MET RAHUL GANDHI IN AHMEDABAD HOTEL

Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel on Monday called the Congress a “chor” (thief) and ruling BJP “mahachor” (super thief) and said he will support the grand old party in order to defeat the saffron outfit in Gujarat, where assembly polls are due later this year.

“But have patience. Do not support (Congress) just now,” Patel said, addressing a public rally at Mandal in north Gujarat.

He also admitted he was present at a luxury hotel in Ahmedabad at the same time when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi checked into the premises but said he did not meet him.

Patel, the face of the influential Patidar community’s agitation for reservation in government jobs and admissions to educational institutes, claimed he gave the meeting with Gandhi a miss owing to his busy schedule.

CCTV footage aired on local television channels, which is available with HT, showed Patel entering the Ummed Hotel late on Sunday night, and leaving through the back door at around 4pm the next day. Gandhi arrived at the same hotel on Monday.

“After the Congress’ invite, I reached the hotel on Sunday at 3am. I met their (Congress) Gujarat in charge (Gehlot). As it was too late, I decided to stay back at the hotel … But they (BJP) got the CCTV camera clips leaked because everything here (in Gujarat) is their (BJP) property,” the 24-year-old said.

“I can also explain why I reached so late here. I could not come out (of the hotel) due to media’s presence. I had not met Rahul Gandhi but the media would have claimed otherwise. But I did not meet (Pakistan’s Nawaz) Sharif at midnight like (PM Narendra) Modi,” he added.

Targeting the BJP, Patel tweeted that people in the rightwing party were “expert in spying” and gave the example of Sanjay Joshi, a senior leader who resigned from a party post in 2005 after being named in a sex CD controversy. The Congress had invited three young community representatives — OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and Patel — for talks with Gandhi during his visit to Gujarat. While Thakor officially joined the Congress at a rally held in Gandhinagar, Mevani gave the event a miss.

The party offered tickets to all the three youth leaders but Patel said he has no intention of contesting the polls. Sources say he is wary of siding with the Congress because it would provide the BJP an opportunity to counter his influence on the community.

After the CCTV footage of Patel’s presence emerged, both the Patidar leader and Gehlot confirmed they met but said Gandhi was not present.

Congress state president Bharatsinh Solanki said the meeting was postponed and was likely to be held either on November 1, 2 or 3.