Hardik Patel to return to Gujarat with mega rally at Himmatnagar

With his 180 days exile ending, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel will mark his return to Gujarat on Tuesday by addressing a rally in Himmatnagar.

The Patidar community members have organised a huge welcome with over 500 cars cavalcade at Ratanpur on the border of Patel's home state, while he will address a rally in Himmatnagar in the afternoon.

Patel's Himmatnagar rally is being termed as 'GMDC part two', in a clear reference to his massive rally at Ahmedabad in August 2015.

"Himmatnagar rally will be part two of GMDC. Hardik will take up reservation issue and will also demand justice for those killed in police firing during the violence that ensued after GMDC rally. This rally will reignite quota agitation in Gujarat," Dinesh Bambhaniya, PAAS leader, said.

Over 100,000 community members are expected to join the Himmatnagar rally, followed by Patel's visit to former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. From there, Patel will depart for Pune where he is supposed to address a student convention.

The agitating Patidar community leader after been exiled from Gujarat, had made Udaipur in Rajasthan his base for the last six months. 

Ahead of his departure from Udaipur, Patel addressed a press conference on Monday, taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government. "If the BJP government cannot kill me, I may be sent to jail for 14 years. But then when I come out at 36, I will have ample time to serve the community," Patel said.

Patel was released on bail by the Gujarat High Court on July 15, 2016. The 23-year-old Patidar leader was charged with inciting violence to force government's hands into accepting the demands of OBC reservation for the Patel community, causing the death of at least 10 persons and damage to public properties across Gujarat.