Calming the protest jitters

Jimmy Patel, chairman of the US-based Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) - which claims to be "overwhelmingly composed of Gujaratis", not to mention Patels - has issued a statement welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. The message has somewhat assuaged the concerns of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was nervous that some in the voluble Patel community might protest during Modi's visit and express solidarity with the Hardik Patel-led anti-reservation movement in Gujarat. AAHOA, founded in 1989, says it represents more than 14,500 small business owners and that its members own more than 40 per cent of the hotels in the US and employ over 600,000 workers.