Congress continues to send leaders to keep party aide Hardik’s claimed fast agitation somehow in limelight

Ahmedabad: Congress’ apparently futile efforts to give boost to the ‘fiasco’ of so-called indefinite fast of party-backed PAAS leader Hardik Patel continued today as well, as former CM of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat and MLA son of ex-CM of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi, Amit Jogi paid visits to him at his ‘Chhavni’ in his Greenwood resort residence off SG Highway here.

Prakash Ambedkar, former MP and Lawyer grandson of Late B R Ambedkar also met Hardik today.

Even as attempts by Hardik’s camp to somehow end the fast, which is also being ridiculed and seen with suspicion by many, was on with rounds of meetings, Rawat also suggested him to end it and take his fight to ‘Delhi’.

He also suggested him to take nutritious honey with water everyday to keep him fit during the fast.

Interestingly Hardik, who rose to fame from quite a low profile mainly due to Patidar quota agitation and used to term each of the sops to the non-reserved category by the BJP government in the state including Mukhyamantri Yuva Swawlamban Yojana, Commission and Corporation for such category as lollipop, has now almost backtracked on the issue.

Most of those came to support him including many Congress leaders kept a mum on their support on OBC like quota to Patidar community.

Hardik was discharged from private sector SGVP hospital on September 9 and taken to his Greenwood resort residence where he continued his indefinite fast on day 16 which so far till day 18 has proved to be a great fiasco of sorts.

Government has continued its somewhat tough stance despite ‘hollow’ ultimatums from PAAS camp.

In a back-track of sorts Hardik had to twice start taking water at his own after giving it up during his somewhat controversial fast unto death in which despite long fast his health showed no significant sign of deterioration.

Interestingly in the ICU of hospitals also he continued to use his smartphone and social media campaign. He started tweeting from the hospital bed of the government run Sola civil hospital two days back when he was taken there with so-called problem in breathing. All his reports came normal and his deputies started crying foul and shifted him to SGVP hospital the same night. There also, no big issue with his health was found and he was discharged.

Hardik has so far not got any response from BJP government which says that he was Congress backed and was doing this stunt for political reasons.

He had started his fast with three demands of farmers loan waiver, patidar reservation and release of his aide Alpesh Kathiria arrested in sedition case from Jail, at his residence in Greenwood resort on August 25. Looking at the past violence and hooliganism during his earlier events, the state police denied him permission to hold fast outside. He had earlier stopped taking water on August 30 and 31 and then started taking it again on September 1. He again gave up water on September 6 and started taking water again on September 9.

On September 7 ie the 14th day he was admitted to Sola civil hospital and when all the reports including Kidney and Liver function tests came quite normal, his aides got him released from there alleging they do not have faith in government hospital. He was taken to SGVP hospital. He was given intravenous fluid but he did not take water orally. PAAS claimed that his fast was on.

Eyebrows were also raised as to how he had no health complications even after 14 days of fast and giving up water for long. During his fast so far PAAS has given ultimatum after ultimatum to the government but it did not budge.

Interestingly Hardik, known for his unruly and arrogant behaviour, has now alleged that a DCP rank official who was looking after the badobast of security close to his fast venue was working at the government’s instance and has threatened to eliminate him. Hardik has in his tweets named some big BJP leaders seemingly in a desperate attempt to give some fuel to his otherwise failed fast agitation. He has alleged that DCP Jaipal Rathod has been given free hand by these leaders to deal with him.

DeshGujarat