Hardik Patel- File photo
Patidar quota spearhead Hardik Patel on Wednesday ended his indefinite fast after 19 days though the government did not come forward to hold talks with him over his demands for reservation to Patidars and farm loan waiver.
Patidar community leaders Naresh Patel and C K Patel offered lemonade to Hardik which the patidar leader accepted and sipped.
However, Hardik Patel said that his fight for patidar quota and farm loan waiver will continue.
“The fight for quota for my community and farm loan waiver will continue,” Hardik Patel said.
Hardik had begun his indefinite hunger strike on August 25 at his residence near Ahmedabad, demanding reservation for Patidars under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and loan waiver for Gujarat farmers.
Later, a demand for release of his aide Alpesh Katheria, who was arrested on charges of sedition, was also added.The 25-year-old quota agitation leader was admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated last Friday - the 14th day of his fast. After spending two days in hospital, he had returned to his house and continued the hunger strike.
While he had started taking liquids and was administered glucose at the hospital, the Patidar leader claimed he did not take any solid food during the fast.
On September 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government had reacted to the agitation and claimed that Hardik’s quota movement was a “politically-motivated” agitation with the backing of the Congress.
State Energy Minister Saurabh Patel had then said that the government’s door were open for talks, but no negotiations were held.
(With PTI inputs)
