Today in Ahmedabad, Patidar Leader Hardik Patel granted bail in sedition cases by Gujarat High Court. Hardik, Accused of sedition by the Gujarat government can leave jail, but must leave the state for six months. The Gujarat HC accepted Hardik Patel’s request for bail. It’s not clear if he can leave prison yet because he’s also charged separately of vandalizing a legislator’s office.
Hardik Patel was arrested and imprisoned in a jail in Surat after he led a huge revolt of the powerful Patidar community against the ruling BJP. Hardik, who wielded a sword at public meetings that drew huge audiences, said the Patidars must be entitled to reserved government jobs and seats in colleges. Though the community was traditionally rich, it prospered from diamond trading and farming, sectors whose returns have greatly diminished in recent years. Patel’s arrest was followed by large-scale arson and violence by his supporters in some of Gujarat’s biggest towns. He has assured the court that once he is freed, he will continue his agitation peacefully. In propitiation, the Gujarat government has said it will offer 10% of government jobs for economically weak sections, a move that is unlikely to be accepted by the High Court, and has been rejected as not good enough by the Patels.
