Stone pelting in Ahmedabad as Patel community goes for show of strength, leader goes on hunger strike

Violence broke out in parts of Gujarat on Tuesday as the economically dominant Patel community held a huge protest demanding Other Backward Class (OBC) status.

While there were two incidents of stone pelting in Ahmedabad, the police had to resort to lathicharge when members of the Patel community forcibly closed some shops in other parts of the state.

This came even as the convenor of the protest, 21-year-old Hardik Patel, began an indefinite hunger strike.

Hardik Patel said, "Over 20 lakh Patidars have come here today, so the Supreme Court means little to us. We want reservation to preserve our dignity and our heritage. We have the right to reservation, and so do our children."

The Patel community's contention is that Patel youth are neither getting admissions in colleges nor jobs in the government and want 27 per cent quota in both.

Accounting for 12 per cent of Gujarat's population, the Patels are among the economically strong communities of the state. Those from the Schedules Tribes have 15 per cent reservation, Scheduled Castes have 7.5 per cent and OBCs have 27 per cent.

There are 146 communities in the OBC list and Patels want themselves to be named as 147th in the list. Patels' demand is being opposed by other communities in the OBC list as they fear inclusion of Patidars will shrink their quota.

The Gujarat government has not met any of the Patels' demands yet, but is treading carefully as it does not want to antagonise a loyal votebank. Patels have been the bedrock of BJP's larger social coalition in the state.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel said, "You are aware of Constitutional provisions and Supreme Court judgements. We are not in a position to increase SC, ST and OBC reservation status beyond 50 per cent."

Anandiben patel, state BJP president RC Faldu and seven other ministers are from Patel community.