Hardik Patel had launched his fast on August 25 for demands, including farm loan waiver and reservation for the Patidar community under OBC category in government jobs and education sector.
Caravan News
AHMEDABAD — Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel was on Friday rushed to a hospital on the 14th day of his indefinite fast as he complained of difficulty in breathing.
He was admitted to the Government Civil Hospital in Sola a day after he gave up even taking water in protest against the government ignoring his demands.
The 25-year-old leader has lost over 20 kg in the past two weeks. His kidney and liver had been affected by his continuous fast, PAAS leader Manoj Panara told reporters.
Earlier, the doctors attached to the Sola civil hospital expressed concern and said Hardik Patel had lost 20kg weight and should get admitted to the hospital.
But the Gujarat government remained unmoved despite medical reports about Patel’s worsening health.
Hardik Patel had launched his fast on August 25 for demands, including farm loan waiver and reservation for the Patidar community under OBC category in government jobs and education sector.
Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had served the Gujarat Government a 24-hour ultimatum to initiate talks with him over their demands. The government maintained that the agitation was sponsored by the Congress.
PAAS spokesman Manoj Panara said the ultimatum expired at 7 p.m. and the 25-year-old Patel decided to stop consuming water.
Earlier too, he had given up drinking water but was persuaded by leaders of the community after seven days of his fast as his health started deteriorating.
Panara said Hardik Patel, who took a stroll in a wheel-chair of the compound of his residence where he is fasting and met some of his supporters in the afternoon, would stop having even a drop of water and the State Government would be responsible for the consequences.
Manoj Panara came up with an allegation, though unsubstantiated, that the PAAS had “definite information” that the state government was “conspiring to kill Hardik” as a warning to all those who dared raised their voice “against the autocratic rule of the BJP”.
He said the government hospital doctors, who were appointed to monitor Hardik Patel’s health, had started claiming that his kidney, heart and several other organs had been “infected” but the private medical practitioners had refuted the claim.
Meanwhile, a state Congress delegation called on Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and submitted a memorandum requesting him to intervene and initiate dialogue with the PAAS to break the impasse.
More support poured in for Hardik Patel on Tuesday, as former Union minister Yashwant Sinha along with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha met him at his residence near here and extended their support.
After the meeting, Yashwant Sinha announced that he would take Hardik Patel’s agitation, particularly with regard to farmers, to the national level.
“During my short meeting with Hardik, it has been decided that we will take this agitation to the national level and fight strongly. Not just Gujarat, we will take this movement to every corner of the country,” Sinha told reporters.
“The issues on which Hardik Patel is holding fast have created an impact across the country. The issues are being discussed everywhere,” he added.
While the former Union finance minister maintained that he and others were with Hardik Patel in his “fight for farmers”, he also opined that the government should pay attention to the demand of reservation.
(With inputs from agencies)