The mass appeal of Hardik Patel in Gujarat “does not augur well for the BJP”, the Shiv Sena said on Friday, calling him “a hero”, who had punctured claims that Gujarat was a peaceful State.
“Until now, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi was considered the only political ‘neta’ who could pull crowds,” an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana said.
“Now, >Hardik Patel has become the ‘king of crowds’, which does not augur well for the BJP,” the Sena said.
“Hardik Patel is a hero of Gujarat... His rallies attract four-five lakh people... With his super-mammoth rally in Ahmedabad last Tuesday, he has thrown the gauntlet at the state government,” the Sena said.
“The state government committed the misadventure of detaining Hardik Patel after Tuesday’s rally and it paid for the blunder... Violence erupted all over the State, even ministers had to bear the brunt of Patidars’ ire,” it said.
Now, Hardik Patel has threatened that if the Patidars were also not given job reservations, “then the lotus (BJP party symbol) will not bloom in 2017”.
“The manner in which the Gujarat youths have responded has created waves in Gujarat political circles,” the editorial said.
