Don't play divisive politics in the name of religion: Hardik Patel

NEW DELHI: In the run-up to the Gujarat elections, Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday accused the central as well as the state government of fooling the people on the issue of reservation.

"Conduct a survey and then take decisions on reservations. Who said more than 50% reservation is not possible. Supreme Court has not .made any law on the matter," Hardik said. 

"Government should provide reservation on the basis of caste and not on the basis of economic conditions," he said.

Justifying his stand on the reservation for the Patel community, Hardik asserted that a government employee gets Rs 17,000 check as his salary, which he said: "is a big amount for a person belonging to a middle-class family". 

Launching a further attack on the central government, Hardik said, "sedition charges was a political conspiracy by the central government against me."

"People in power have caused us huge damage," he said. 

When asked about his support to Congress in the upcoming Gujarat assembly election, Hardik said, "Who said I am with Congress? I may have announced my support to Congress but have never met Rahul Gandhi," he said. 

"I am not with Congress neither I am working for them," he asserted.

He shot back saying that he doesn't need to ally with the 'Modi group' to work for the development of his community. 

"Nobody but only people of Gujarat will decide the fate of the state," he said. 

On the recently released 'sex CDs', the 24-yr-old PAAS leader retorted saying, "Give me Rs 2 cr and I will  get Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on the same CD."

He, however, refused to confirm if he was in the 'sensational' sex CDs or not. "It is my private matter and I won't reply to it. It doesn't matter if I am in 'that' CD or not," Hardik said.

"Don't play divisive politics in the name of Hindu-Muslim religion," he said replying to another question.

The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases - on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18.