Govt-Patidar meet ends in deadlock

Govt agrees to set up two commissions, but fails to appease Hardik as key quota demand not met

Patidar community, Gujarat Patidar community, Patidar quota agitation, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Patidars, gujarat news, indian express news

PAAS convener Hardik Patel (File Photo)

The meeting between the Gujarat government and representatives of the Patidar community on Tuesday failed to break the deadlock. Hardik Patel, the leading face of the Patidar quota agitation, said that their agitation will continue since the government failed to address the “key issue” of giving reservation to the community.

The government on Tuesday declared that it would set up two commissions — to look into the welfare of communities which do not get reservation and the other, and a judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe into allegations of police atrocities on agitating Patidars two years ago. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, cabinet minister Chiman Shapariya and state minister Nanubhai Vanani represented the government at the meeting. The Patidars were represented by six major community outfits, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Sardar Patel Group (SPG).

Post-meeting, Nitin Patel said three decisions arrived at were “acceptable to all (Patidar groups)”. He said, “The state government will form a commission for the benefit of all communities which do not get reservation in education, agriculture and other welfare activities. It will be cleared in the Cabinet meeting tomorrow… As far as complaints of police atrocities (on agitating Patidars) is concerned, we will form a judicial inquiry commission…. The commission will be appointed immediately after we get a name from Gujarat High Court.”

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He said other issues discussed at the meeting included providing jobs and financial assistance to those who died in the agitation. On the Patidar community’s demand for reservation in jobs and education, Nitin Patel said: “Our government has already given reservation on economic basis (through a legislation). The Gujarat HC has struck it down. We have challenged it in Supreme Court, where the matter is pending.”

PAAS convener Hardik Patel stuck to the quota demand and called the meeting a “failure”. “There was no discussion on the reservation at the meeting. What the government has proposed are their acts of mending their mistakes. Our main demand has always been reservation and we will continue our agitation for it,” Hardik told the media. He said he accepted the decision to form a commission for the communities which do not get reservation.

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