Hardik Patel meets the press for an hour; Shares his Congress story

Gandhinagar: Hardik Patel who resigned from the post of Working President of Gujarat Congress yesterday and from all other posts of the party, today addressed the media for about an hour. Hardik said he has yet not decided to join any other party but whenever he would decide, he would make an announcement.

Hardik said working president of State Congress are assigned specific tasks in other States (Punjab, Karnataka etc), such as in some state working president is incharge of NSUI and Youth Congress, in some other state some geographical area is allocated to them, but in Gujarat, he was not assigned any responsibility as Working President of party for two years.

Hardik said he had met Khodaldham Trust’s founder Naresh Patel in Rajkot and told him that how bad an idea it would be to join Congress for him. Hardik said he told Nareshbhai that Congress used Hardik in 2017 and would use Nareshbhai in 2022 assembly election in order to finish him.

Hardik said Congress is the biggest jativadi party. He said whenever some Patidar or other community leader emerges within Congress and becomes a voice, Congress party work to remove him. Hardik gave examples of Chimanbhai Patel, Vitthal Radadiya and Narhari Amin in this connection.

Hardik said he would do 400-500 km padyatra while the party leader sitting in AC room would only try to sabotage such yatra.

Hardik said, there are four-five term MLAs from tribal, OBC, SC community, but they too face adverse situation in Congress. If one or two leaders leave party, the party blames them that they were sold, but since 2012, as many as 117 persons left the party including 27 MLAs, more than 12 MPs and 42 former MLAs. The partymen need to rethink and for that it doesn’t require chintan shibir in Udaiapur. In BJP, a person from 2 per cent population can become CM, a person from a community that has just 3 per cent population can become minister, and what is the situation of Congress? Who was State party chief in 2012 and 2014 and now? One needs to think about this.

Hardik said – Gujarat Congress leaders convey Rahul only one thing that Congress is not going to get results in Gujarat and he should not waste much time there. Our leaders would sit in the room and discuss managing chicken sandwich and diet coke for Rahul Gandhi when he visits Gujarat.

Hardik said – Congress party leaders only discuss which seat can be won by fielding a candidate of which caste in a specific area. When one department president’s name was declared by Congress in Gujarat, his caste title was put in a bracket next to his name. Congress leaders convey Delhi leadership that Kadva – Leuva divide in Patidar community can benefit the party politically.

Hardik said, Congress leaders just to make a point that they care about Patidars visited Nareshbhai Patel in Rajkot but if you see the timings, they reached Naresh Patel’s place at 9.58 am and left from there at 10.10 am. What can be talked about in just 12 minutes? It was just a show.

Hardik said, Raghu Sharma, the State Congress incharge had yesterday said that Congress didn’t have any benefit due to Hardik in 2017 elections in Gujarat. Raghu Sharma should notice that in 2017, the Congress party won those 17 seats that were not won by Congress even in 1985 when Madhavsinh Solanki led party had won the highest 150 seats.

Hardik said, State with Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, Adani – Ambani and the Prime Minister, because they are from Gujarat they are being attacked by Congress leaders. Adani and Ambani have become rich due to their hard work and the smallest businessman, a smallest person in Gujarat wish to become Adani Ambani as he sees Adani – Ambani as their role model. Contrary to this, for the last seven years, Adani and Ambani are cursed by Congress leaders.

He said, Congress in Gujarat functions by just ten persons and the second row leadership is not given importance. When I was asked by Rahul Gandhi about the issues I wanted to raise, I gave a note to him and mentioned that I should be given some responsibility as a Working President. I have given all to the Congress party and haven’t received anything. My father was not some minister or leader, we had worked hard and showed our strength and after that we were given the position in party.

He said: I have not taken this decision with pain, but with boldness. Congress is the only party where Rs. 5 crore sum is collected for the Youth Congress election. Rs. 5 crore has been taken away from Gujarat and when the Youth Congress wants to do some event, no fund is allocated.

Some Congress leaders claim that Hardik Patel distributed tickets in 2017 assembly polls. Congress would be called foolish if it distributed tickets as per my wish when I was not even party of the Congress party. In 2022 Congress would find no way to win and at last put one person as CM candidate and when the party would lose the election, it will again blame Patidar community and will say that because it picked up a Patidar community person as CM face, the others didn’t vote for Congress. Patidar community will be misused and blamed.

Let me say, Congress didn’t form the govt in 1985 as per the theory (KHAM), but due to Indira Gandhi’s death and related sympathy wave. If that (KHAM) theory was working, why in 1990s Congress got only 30 seats. Congress leaders convey party leadership in Delhi even today that this theory can be utilized to win. Congress does Jativadi politics.

If some MLA of Congress would leave the party, I would comment that they should not do it, but today I am leaving the party and one can know only the real situation when he himself suffers. We work hard, we don’t sit in the AC room. My parents were not in politics. We have worked hard. If Congress had sympathy about Patidars, it could go to the homes of those 14 persons who died in the course of Patidar quota agitation.

They talk about discipline, but those who ransacked the State party headquarters are made unit presidents. One who thrashed Seva Dal president using shoes have been given a ticket to contest election. When so many party MLAs resigned, why did Congress leaders not know their pain, whether Alpesh Thakor or late Dr. Ashaben Patel or others from Saurashtra.

Congress is against dharma. I suggested a party to put in a manifesto that if party come to power it would make Gaushala. The proposal was not accepted. I had asked to be positive about Ram Mandir, NRC and CAA, but the party had no specific clarification regarding this. A day before yesterday when Shivling was found out from a mosque, we should ask to build Shivalaya, mandir but our leaders were blabbering as per their wish.

I apologize before the people of Gujarat for seeking votes for Congress in 2017 elections in Gujarat. The people of Gujarat have not given power to Congress in the last 30 years and if Congress party functions in same way, the people wouldn’t elect Congress in next twenty years as well.

Once when protest was underway in Gandhinagar, I asked to break the barricade, but I was told that there was a setting with police and there was a deal to give up for arrest at a certain point. Such a drama in the name of agitation?

Raghu Sharma had contested by-poll from Ajmer and he was helped by Sachin Pilot, but when Pilot requiring his help, this man ran away. Sharma had a lucrative portfolio as minister and when he was to be removed from this post he asked for Gujarat incharge post.

I ask all to see the Congress party for themselves by sitting in Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan (state party headquarters) and not see it from a distance.

In Dahod, 25,000 persons had gathered in Rajiv Gandhi’s public meeting but the fund was demanded by State unit for gathering of 70,000 persons. I thank Congress workers from heart. I am sad that I have left them. There are countless party cadres who work hard but the leaders above them misuse them. I have resigned very proudly.

My late father would say that one decision I took wrong was joining the wrong party. When my father passed away, not one single leader barring Shaktisinh Gohil visited my place. I was a working President then. When my father’s anniversary programme was held, only two leaders visited my place and none other. If the Working President’s father passes away and Congress leaders can’t come to share my pain, how come they can share the pain of common people?

I regret I wasted my three years in Congress. I could serve the people better if I was not in Congress.

The way Congress is functioning in Gujarat, it becomes clear that it will not even be in the position of opposition here. The party doesn’t need to do chintan and meet at Udaipur for Chicken Sandwich but do chinta. I would join pro-people party where there’s an opportunity to work for the people. DeshGujarat