'Not Met Rahul Gandhi Today, Am Not In Ahmedabad': Hardik Patel To NDTV

Ahmedabad: Amid conflicting reports, Hardik Patel has  told NDTV that he has not met Rahul Gandhi today and is not even in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, where some media reports said the two had met. The 24-year-old activist had earlier in the day texted reporters to say that he was busy and so could not accept an invitation today for a meeting with Mr Gandhi, who is holding a rally in Gandhinagar this evening.     

"The meeting which was supposed to take place with Rahul Gandhi has been put on hold due to unaviodable engagements. I will be meeting him in the coming days," said the message from Mr Patel, the face of the Patidar or Patel agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges. Congress leaders had later said that the two were meeting after all at an Ahmedabad hotel.

Ahead of assembly elections to be held by December, Hardik Patel has an open invitation to join the Congress as  Rahul Gandhi goes all out to get the support of Patels, Dalits and Other Backward Classes or OBC, groups seen to be upset with the state's ruling BJP. He had invited Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani separately to meet him today. The focus is on OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who will join the Congress at Mr Gandhi's rally.

Late last night, a close aide Narendra Patel held a dramatic press conference to allege that the BJP offered him one crore to leave Hardik Patel's PAAS or Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti and join the ruling party. He spread out wads of cash and alleged that he had been given 10 lakh as an advance with 90 lakh to be paid later.
 While the BJP dismissed Narendra Patel's allegation as a conspiracy constructed by a "desperate Congress," another Patel leader Nikhil Sawani, who had joined the BJP only 15 days ago, said he was quitting the party, citing Narendra Patel's allegations as a reason. Mr Sawani met Rahul Gandhi today and said they had discussed, "I put forward my viewpoints with regard to the aandolan and justice to Patidars."

Hardik Patel shot into the spotlight two years ago as the young, aggressive leader of a massive agitation by the influential Patel community for quota. He challenged the BJP government, warning that the Patels would revoke their support of years to the party if their demand was not met. After protests turned violent Hardik Patel was imprisoned on sedition charges and was then banished on court orders from the state for six months. He had then vowed revenge on the BJP in this year's assembly elections.

Back in Gujarat early this year, Hardik Patel had last month tweeted a welcome to Rahul Gandhi when the latter was visiting the state. Mr Gandhi has on his frequent tours since September has assiduously wooed Patels, accusing the BJP of shortchanging the community and promising to fulfil their demands if his party returns to power in Gujarat, ruled by the BJP for the last two decades.

Hardik Patel and Rahul Gandhi have held no meeting yet. Mr Patel, however, did attend a meeting last month called by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, appointed last year by the BJP with the specific task of winning back the Patidars. In what was seen as an admission that the state government had mishandled the Patel agitation, including the imprisonment on stringent charges of Hardik Patel and other Patel leaders and excessive police action on protesters, then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was replaced with Vijay Rupani.

The BJP government has since been attempting damage control, promising a series of measures to placate the Patidars, though Hardik Patel has said that the main demand of reservation is still outstanding and non-negotiable.