If the Anandiben government thought that meeting the Patel agitation leaders would pacify them, it could not have been more wrong. The agitation has only intensified and is now spreading even to the United States where Patels are a very influential diaspora community.
The community is demanding reservation benefits in government jobs and educational institutions.
Patels have planned a massive show of strength in New York during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United Nations. “We are organising a rally called the ‘U.N. March’ on September 25... around 10,000 Patel community members are expected to participate,” said Varun Patel, a member of the Sardar Patel Group (SPG) that is coordinating with the U.S.-based Patels.
“All Patidar members will wear white T shirts and assemble near the U.N. headquarters,” Alpesh Patel, a member of the organising group, told the local media in Gujarat.
Varun Patel said a top official of the Intelligence Bureau called him on Tuesday. “The official asked me about our agitation plans during the Prime Minister’s visit,” Mr. Patel told The Hindu.
On Monday, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and her Cabinet colleagues held a marathon meeting with the agitation leaders. The government sought 10 days time to deliberate on the issues raised by the agitationists led by Hardik Patel and Lalji Patel.
Meanwhile, the agitation has taken a new turn with hundreds of Patels withdrawing money from their banks in response to a call for economic boycott given by the leaders, mostly youngsters not associated with any political party. “Around 200 depositors from the Patel community have withdrawn their money from our branch,” said the manager of Sabarkantha district cooperative bank’s Kherol branch.
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