Hardik Patel's outfit turns down Gujarat's 10 per cent quota for EBCs

New Delhi: Trouble seems to be brewing in Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat as Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti rejected the state government’s decision to give 10 percent reservation for the economically backward among upper castes up to an annual family income of Rs six lakh.

The decision was taken at the state BJP unit’s core group meeting which was also attended by national president Amit Shah. It set a family income cap of Rs six lakh a year to avail the benefit for education and jobs.

The outfit rejected the move as another “lollipop” extended by the BJP and the state government to “mislead” and silence the Patel community.

“This is just another ‘lollipop’ given by the state government to mislead the Patel community. We do not accept this reservation for EBCs. Our main demand is to release Hardik Patel from jail and then we will decided about future course of action,” AAS spokesperson Dharmik Malaviya said.

“This 10 percent reservation for EBCs is nothing but a lollipop by government to misguide the Patel community. Hardik and PAAS never asked for it. We always wanted reservation under OBC quota or like the reservation granted to Jats by the Haryana government,” another PAAS spokesperson Brijesh Patel said.

Considering the political significance of the decision the announcement of reservation for the community was made by state BJP president Vijay Rupani, flanked by chief minister Anandiben Patel.

“Our core group meeting, headed by national president Amit Shah, has decided to give 10 per cent reservation for economically backward among general category," said Rupani.

“A notification will be issued on the Gujarat state formation day on May 1, and EBCs among general category will be able to take the benefit of the reservation in education and jobs from the next academic year,” he said.