The party will not suffer because of Hardik Patel's resignation, said the Congress leader. (FILE)
Days after Hardik Patel quit the Congress, Gujarat party chief Jagdish Thakor has claimed that the he took the step as he was afraid that he might have to go to jail in sedition cases filed against him.
Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Wednesday resigned from Congress saying that he resigned after he felt that he was being "ignored".
Mr Thakor, speaking to ANI, said, "The party has given him everything. The party had made him a "star campaigner" in the recently-held Assembly polls to five states and had given him a helicopter as well. The party gave a very high post to him and yet he said that the party has not given anything then I think it's not true."
Mr Thakor alleged that whatever Mr Patel spoke during the press conference and what was written in his resignation letter was scripted by the ruling BJP.
"Now Patel will be speaking only what BJP will ask him to speak. Even the language of his letter was not his own but was drafted at the BJP office," he said.
"Hardik feared that he may have to go to jail in sedition cases if he stays in the Congress. Hence, to save himself from the possible punishment, he decided to quit the Congress and he might join the BJP as well," MrThakor claimed.
He further said that the party will not suffer because of Hardik Patel's resignation.
"Earlier also many people left the party but it remained the same. Now also there will be no harm to the party. We will do more rallies in Surat, Bartoli, and Saurashtra with Rahul Gandhi. All allegations made by Hardik Patel are false, including against Rahul Gandhi, has no truth to them," he added.
Talking about the future of Hardik Patel, the Congress leader said he will be released from jail and will enjoy his life.
The Patidar leader, who joined the Congress in 2019, was elevated as one of the Gujarat Congress working presidents in 2020.
On Wednesday, Mr Patel resigned from the party and stated that Gujarat Congress leaders were least bothered to address real issues of Gujarat but were more focussed on ensuring that the leaders who come from Delhi to Gujarat get "chicken sandwich" on time.
The Gujarat Assembly elections are slated to be held this year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)