 "Hardik Patel (Photo: Facebook)")
Patidar leader Hardik Patel emerged from the Lajpore Jail here on Friday after over nine months to a hero's welcome by hundreds of supporters, some holding posters that read "Gabbar is Back".
Patel was released after the Gujarat High Court granted him bail in two sedition and one arson-related cases that were slapped when he lead a mass agitation demanding job quotas for the Patel community.
His bail was approved on the condition that he stays out of Gujarat for six months and for three months after that in another case.
Hardik, after stepping out of the jail, told reporters that he has vowed to continue his agitation to get reservation for his community under the OBC quota.
In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's '56-inch-chest' remark made during 2014 election campaign, Hardik said, "I want to say that I don't want height, weight or a 56-inch chest. All I want is rights for my community."
"Our agitation will continue in coming days. Our demand for OBC status for Patels is still there. In coming days, there will be a change in the style of our working, but, our attitude (tevar) will remain the same," Hardik said.
"This agitation is not a property of any political party. No party should think of taking political benefit out of this. This agitation will not stop just because I or someone else wants. It will only end when Patel community gets their right," he said.
According to Hardik, the doors for discussion with the state government is open.
Commenting on the 10% EBC quota for all the unreserved category granted by Gujarat government recently, Hardik indicated that it is still not enough.
The Patel quota agitation leader also hinted at taking the agitation on a national scale by involving the Kurmi community, which the Patels consider as their off-shoot.
"We will also involve our Kurmi community in this agitation and try to get our rights," he said.
Hardik, who had spearheaded the agitation for quota for inclusion of the Patidar community in OBC category, was arrested in October last year.
He was accused of inciting violence to put pressure on the government to accept the demand for granting reservation to Patels under the OBC category.
Hardik's mega rally on reservation held in Ahmedabad on August 25 last year had sparked violence, in which 10 people, including a policeman, were killed and public properties and vehicles destroyed across Gujarat.
Dinesh Bamaniya, a leader of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti and a close aide of Hardik Patel, said Hardik Patel had decided to spend the next six months at Udaipur in Rajasthan since it was closer to Gujarat.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by his supporters to make the most of the two days has been allowed to stay in Gujarat after release.
The 23-year-old Hardik Patel is expected to cover 2,150 km in the next 48 hours, addressing 12 public meetings, seven roadshows and two major rallies, PAAS spokesperson Brijesh Patel said.
"He will roughly address 1.5 million people in these two days in Surat, Rajkot, Botad and Viramgam, his hometown," Brijesh Patel said.
Hardik was booked in two cases of sedition in Surat and Ahmedabad, besides under various sections of IPC along with his supporters.
In Visnagar case, Hardik and 17 others were accused of ransacking the office of Visnagar MLA Rishikesh Patel during one of the Patidar community's reservation rallies.
