The Gujarat government today opposed the bail plea of quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, saying that the "conduct and behaviour" of the accused showed it was seditious in nature.
Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin, who began his argument against Hardik's bail plea in the court of Justice A J Desai, told the court that "conduct and behaviour" of accused Hardik since the beginning of the agitation was against the government and seditious in nature.
The court kept the matter for further hearing post summer vacation, on June 9 as the government lawyer said that he cannot finish his arguments in a day. The High Court will go for vacation from coming Saturday.
Questioning the statement made in a voluntary undertaking given before the court by Hardik's lawyer yesterday, Amin said the clause that he will continue agitation with a rider that it will be peaceful, was not acceptable as given the history of Patidar agitation, it was not likely to remain peaceful.
Amin highlighted Hardik's behaviour as 'stubborn' for insisting that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel herself should come to collect memorandum at GMDC ground where a huge rally turned violent on August 25 last year.
Hardik's insistence led to his detention, he told the court. The violence that broke out following his detention could have incurred loss to the tune of around Rs 100 crore, Amin told the court.
He also questioned Hardik's visit to Vipul Desai's home in Surat where he made a statement saying Vipul (who had threatened suicide) should kill policemen rather than end his life.
He further said that Hardik made several statements to incite public during the India-South Africa match in Rajkot on October 18, where he himself went. Amin also told the court that the HC had set aside quashing a petition filed by the accused in two FIRs lodged in Surat and Ahmedabad.
He said that the state government has issued an ordinance for 10 per cent reservation for economically weak among upper castes.
Amin further argued that while the ordinance was open
to be challenged legally after the court asked how the government was going to adjust reservation within 50 per cent cap as determined by the Supreme Court, the government's intention was positive.
Hardik is an accused in two seperate sedition cases filed against him in Surat and Ahmedabad.
He had approached the high court for bail, after the lower courts in Surat and Ahmedabad (where there are separate sedition cases against Hardik) refused him bail.
The young Patel leader and his three associates are facing charges under IPC sections 124(A) (sedition), 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) here. They are accused of inciting violence to put pressure on the government to accept the demand of OBC reservation for Patels.
Hardik is lodged at Lajpore jail in Surat.
