Hardik pushes for survey of Patels in Gujarat for reservation

Patidar quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel is pushing for a survey to establish "social and economic backwardness" of the community in Gujarat so that they qualify for reservation in jobs, days after Marathas were granted reservation in Maharashtra after a similar exercise.

Patel led a delegation on Thursday to meet chairperson of the OBC Commission of Gujarat and demanded a survey of the Patidar (Patel) community by the panel.

"We met chairman of OBC Commission Sugnaben Bhatt and handed an 11-page letter asking her to conduct a survey that the entire Patel community is socially and educationally backward," he told reporters after the meeting.

"We have demanded that survey be started as soon as possible. It is mandatory to prove in a survey that a community is backward and after that only it (community) becomes eligible to receive reservation," he said.

The move of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by Hardik Patel comes after Maharashtra's State Backward Class Commission gave a report on backwardness of the Marathas after which the government announced quota for the community.

The reservation will be granted to the community under a new category, 'Socially and Educationally Backward Class', as per the recommendation of the commission, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said Sunday.

On his meeting Thursday with Sugnaben Bhatt, 25-year-old Hardik Patel said, "The commission heard us and gave a positive feedback. They will give us a reply in a week's time."