Hardik Patel has alleged that Gujarat Congress leaders are harassing him
Hardik Patel, the Congress's disgruntled Working President in Gujarat, denied that he was on the verge of leaving the party after a bitter, public outburst in which he said he felt like a "groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)".
"There is a rumour that I am leaving Congress, I do not know who is spreading it," Hardik Patel was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"I have given my 100 per cent to Congress till now and will give the same in the coming days. We will do better development in Gujarat. There will be small fights and blame games within the party, but we have to work together to make Gujarat a better place," he said.
The firebrand leader added, "If speaking truth is a crime, consider me guilty. The people of Gujarat have expectations from us, we have to stand up to them."
Hardik Patel also said he had complained to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi several times about the harassment but no action has been taken.
Hardik Patel, who led an agitation of the powerful "Patidar" community for quota in Gujarat in 2015, joined the Congress just before the 2019 national election. His popularity was seen to have waned since his political plunge, more so as he had earlier shunned politics. Although the party made gains in the 2017 Gujarat election, the Patidar community did not support the party in the 2019 election or local body polls.
As the Congress preps for a head-to-head battle with the ruling BJP in Gujarat, Hardik Patel has accused his party leadership of ignoring and sidelining him. Yesterday, he also alleged that Gujarat Congress leaders were "harassing" him and wanted him to quit the party.
"I am being harassed so much that I feel bad about it. Gujarat Congress leaders want that I should leave the party," Mr Patel told PTI.
"I am more pained because I have represented the situation to Rahul Gandhi many times, but no action has been taken by him against Gujarat Congress leaders," he said.
Reports say Mr Patel is upset about the Congress's plan to rope in prominent Patidar leader chairman of the Khodaldham Temple Trust, Naresh Patel.
"You used Hardik in 2017, you want to use Naresh bhai in 2022 and in 2027 you would use another Patidar leader. Why don't you support and strengthen Hardik?" he said.
"They should take Naresh bhai, but will they treat him like the way the way they did to me?" he asked.
Mr Patel said though he was working president of the Gujarat Congress, no work had been given to him. "I am not called to attend important meetings or not made part of any decision-making process," he alleged.