'Congress-Hardik club' is one of 'mutual deception': Jaitley

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the club consisting of the Congress and Patidar leader Hardik Patel was one of 'mutual deception' as they were deceiving each other as well the voters.

Speaking at a media briefing, the union minister said, "The Congress-Hardik club is one of mutual deception. The law of the land is very clear and that has been laid down by the Supreme Court. Last week, it was reaffirmed that the 50 per cent reservation cap cannot be breached. They (Hardik Patel and Congress) can continue to mutually deceive each other and the public by saying that they will devise a methodology of breaching the cap."

He added that in elections, only those promises should be made to each other and the public that could be implemented, otherwise "you deceive your own constituents."

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel earlier today claimed the Congress had agreed to give reservation to the Patidar community, if the party came to power in Gujarat.

Patel, while addressing the media here, said the party would introduce a bill in the Gujarat Assembly for the reservation, if they won the forthcoming elections.

The Patidars constitute 16 per cent of the state population in Gujarat and play an important role in swinging the voters' mood.

The Congress is counting on the Patidar votes to sway the election results of Gujarat polls in their favour and uproot the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power since 1995 in the state.