Surat: Hardik Patel, who has hit the headlines lately for spearheading the Patel quota movement, said on Tuesday that he will organise a 'reverse' Dandi march from Dandi to Ahmedabad later this week.
This is apparently to scale up the agitation for reservation for Patels in its second phase.
The agitation led by Hardik had plunged Gujarat into violence last week.
A a mega rally to press for reservation for Patels was held in Ahmedabad on August 25 after which violence erupted in which 10 people were killed.
There are over 35 MLAs belonging to Patel community in the state, out of total 182.
Hardik later said that he would launch a fresh round of agitation for reservation with more focus more on taluka and village level.
Hardik also claimed support of various organisations who have extended their support.
These include Gujjar Vikas Parishad, Kurmi-Kshatriya Mahasabha, Anjana-Chaudhari Samaj, Rashtriya Gujjar Manch etc.
According to him, the total population of Patels, Gujjars and Kurmis in the country is 27 crore.
"Mahatma Gandhi did Dandi March on this route, starting from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad till Dandi in south Gujarat. Walking on this 350-km route, we will hold our own 'Patidar Anamat Kooch'," Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) core committee member Dinesh Patel said, as per PTI.
Dinesh was with Hardik in the city today to launch the next round of agitation to press for reservation to Patel community under OBC quota.
"The march will be organised on the same route where Dandi March was held. However, our march will be in the reverse direction. Instead of going to Dandi from Ahmedabad, we will start our march from Dandi and arrive at Ahmedabad. As per our tentative schedule, it will be organised on either September 5 or 6," Dinesh added.
Hardik and other PAAS leaders held marathon meetings with local Patel leaders, student groups and Patel businessmen here, as part of the second phase of their agitation.
The Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 was an important part of independence movement and Hardik's move to choose that location for strengthening his agitation is viewed as a clever strategy to send the message across various stake-holders.
(With PTI inputs)
