Hardik Patel today launched his new movement in Rajkot and other parts of the state.
has now announced a "lollipop movement" in Gujarat to protest against a
1000-crore package for economically weak students that the state government announced yesterday.
The 22-year-old Mr Patel, who is the face of an agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges for Patels, alleges that the package does not offer anything substantial to his community.
He has called it a "lollipop" handed to the Patel community and says his organisation the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti will protest by distributing lollipops to Patels or Patidars in villages and towns across Gujarat.
He launched his new movement in Rajkot and other parts of the state this evening, only a day after he assured the Gujarat High Court that he would not call for any protest or agitation till September 29, when he has been asked to appear in court next.
The court had on Thursday
severely reprimanded Hardik Patel and his lawyer BM Mangukia, saying they had taken "the court for a ride" by filing a petition past midnight earlier this week alleging that Hardik had been abducted and illegally detained by the Gujarat police.
It has asked the lawyer to substantiate the allegations at the next hearing, observing that "prima facie we find that the whole purpose of the petition was mere publicity." Mr Patel had surfaced on Wednesday and held a press conference before he appeared before court.
Also on Thursday, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel announced a special scheme with a substantial fee waiver for students from low-income families across communities. It will benefit bright students, irrespective of caste, whose family income is not more than Rs 4.5 lakh per year and annum.
The scheme is seen as an affirmative action that attempts to bypass Hardik Patel's demand to include the influential and wealthy Patels among castes that get the benefit of reservation.