Hardik Patel in Delhi on Sunday.
Hardik Patel, the face of the Patels' stir for quota in Gujarat, who is currently in Delhi, has told NDTV that their agitation has the backing of 27 crore Gujjars.
"Have full backing of Gujjar leaders... 27 cr strong Gujjar community backing us, not politicians," Mr Patel, who came to Delhi to garner support for his agitation, said during an interview with NDTV.
The financially and politically powerful Patels' demand for inclusion in the list of socially and economically weaker sections had been strongly opposed by the Dalits and Other Backward castes in Gujarat who are already on it. Mr Patel's foray into Delhi is seen as nothing less than an attempt to garner support from two other powerful groups in the north with similar demands -- the Jats and the Gujjars.
Mr Patel said he wanted to make the agitation for reservation in education and government jobs go national, with protests held at Jantar Mantar, the 300-year-old sundial at the heart of Delhi, and in Lucknow.
"We will go home when we get our rights... This is not a 100 meters race, it is a marathon," said the man who had openly warned the BJP that ignoring their demand could cost the party electorally in Gujarat.
Today, he pressed on with his charges against Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, who has already turned down the community's demand in view of the Supreme Court's 50% cap on reservation, which Gujarat has already reached.
Talking about the police action during last week's protest in Gujarat in which nine people died, he said, "How can the Chief Minister say she didn't order the lathicharge? How can she say she doesn't control the police?"
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the agitation in his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat, saying it had "upset the entire nation".