‘Primary motive of BJP is to divide and rule’

UDAIPUR: Sitting inside a dimlylit room at former Congress MLA Pushkar Dangi’s house in Udaipur, firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel looks oddly calm as he speaks in chaste Gujarati, clutching an iPhone in his hands. He just turned 23 but there is no sign of celebrations at the house. Hardik said he has asked all his supporters not to celebrate his birthday in view of what’s happening to Dalit brothers in Gujarat. In an interview with Deep Mukherjee and Sohail Khan, Hardik speaks about the ‘divisive policy of the BJP’ and failure of the Gujarat model. Excerpts.

Why are residents of Gujarat so angry? Last year, there was the Patel agitation and now the violent Dalit protests.

The primary motive of the BJP is to divide and rule by discriminating people on the basis of caste and religion. What is happening to Dalits in Gujarat is the result of the anger among people against the government. The BJP has always encouraged violence and the 2002 riots are the testimony to the fact.

Do you see any parallels between the Patel agitation and the protests by Dalits?

During our agitation, when people took to streets police had cracked down mercilessly, slapping sedition cases against kids and lives were lost in police firing. A similar thing is happening now.

Has the state government failed? Is the government insensitive?

The BJP government has only sold false dreams to people. Today, villages in Gujarat don’t have 24-hour power but the government simply fooled the country by talking about the Gujarat model. Incidents such as Dadri are purposefully fuelled by the BJP to divide people. People need development and the need is not for ‘Make in India’ but ‘Made in India’.

Does Narendra Modi share any responsibility for the failings of the state government?

Under Modi, Gujarat’s debt increased from 36 crore to 3 lakh crore. Modi is not the Prime Minister but an NRI Prime Minister who is always out of the country.

What is your view on the movement of cow vigilante groups?

Every day we see countless stray cows being beaten up and abandoned. If one wants to become a true ‘gausevak’ then why can’t he put them in gaushala for proper care?

Is the BJP good for Gujarat?

The BJP continued to cheat people by making tall promises but never fulfilled them. In the last two decades, BJP has failed Gujarat.

How will the Patels respond in the Gujarat elections next year?

All I would like to say is that the BJP is losing grip in Gujarat.