The Gujarat police on Monday arrested the Patel agitation leader Hardik Patel on charges of sedition for allegedly asking a distressed Patel youth in Surat to “kill 3-4 policemen, instead of committing suicide.” The 22-year-old convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) was arrested by the Surat police, which filed a case based on a video clip.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Makrand Chauhan filed the case based on a video in which Mr. Patel is seen asking Vipul Desai, a youth who wanted to commit suicide if the quota benefits were not extended to the Patel community, to “kill 3-4 policemen, instead of killing yourself.” A team of the Surat police rushed to Rajkot where Mr Patel was detained when he tried to stage a protest near the cricket stadium during the India South Africa cricket match on Sunday.
“We have checked the veracity of the video and confirmed that it’s Hardik’s voice. It’s a serious threat to the police establishment, so we have booked him for sedition. We have taken his custody from the Rajkot police,” said a police official from Surat.