Hardik’s outfit rejects Gujarat’s 10% quota for economically backward

Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti has rejected the Gujarat government ‘s decision to give 10% reservation for the economically backward among upper castes up to an annual family income of Rs 6 lakh .

In its initial reaction, the outfit rejected the move as another “lollipop” extended by the BJP and the state government to “mislead” their 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,” PAAS spokesperson Dharmik Malaviya said.

Another PAAS spokesperson Brijesh Patel 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.”

“This announcement is a tactic by BJP government to silence the Patel community. But we will not get misled by this announcement. BJP will have to face consequences for playing such politics. PAAS will launch protests across Gujarat against this announcement,” he said.

However, another quota agitation body Sardar Patel Group (SPG) welcomed the government’s move, but said they will assess how it will help the community.

The crucial 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 6 lakh a year to avail the benefit for education and jobs.

“Our core group meeting, headed by national president Amit Shah, has decided to give 10 per cent reservation for economically backward among general category,” state BJP president Vijay Rupani, flanked by chief minister Anandiben Patel and senior minister Nitin Patel, told reporters.

“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.

“Families having an annual income of Rs 6 lakh or below will be eligible to avail the reservation. That means a family having an income upto Rs 50,000 per month can take the benefit of the scheme,” he said.

The reservation announced by the government will be over and above the cap of 50% reservation set by the Supreme Court, and may face legal hurdles.

Asked if the move will stand legal scrutiny, Rupani said, “We are very serious about this and we will fight it up to the apex court for reservation of economically backward among the general category.”

“We have not touched the quota given to SC, STs and OBCs. Their quota is intact,” Rupani said.

When asked if this reservation scheme comes on the recommendations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “The decision was taken in a core group meeting in which national party president Amit Shah was present. So, it has got green signal from everybody in national party.”

The BJP had suffered heavy losses in the rural local bodies polls recently, which were blamed on the Patel quota stir. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Shankarsinh Waghela said the announcement of 10% reservation to EBCs was deceptive and it is like a “lollipop” to the Patel community.

He demanded an increase in the reservation for EBCs from 10% to 20% and that the income cap should also be increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.