Tough nuts to crack

The first day of the Budget session in the Gujarat Assembly was tough for members of the Bharatiya Janata Party belonging to the Patel community. As Gujarat Governor O P Kohli started his address, Congress members started shouting slogans, "Patidaro jailma, bhagidaro mehelma (Patidars are in jail, the legislators are in palaces)". The ruling party members from the Patel community were unable to give a befitting reply, as it would have been taken as a comment against the community itself. "In the House, the situation of the Patel MLAs of the BJP was similar to that of a supari (betel nut) in the grip of a nut cracker," commented a Gujarati daily.