Will resorting to violence yield the desired result? Apparently, the Patels of Gujarat led by 22 year-old Hardik Patel believe so. They went on a rampage in Gujarat torching cars and public property demanding that their community be categorized as OBC.
In the police action that followed, eight people and a constable were killed. While national leaders and spiritual gurus have been appealing for calm and peace, Hardik Patel has threatened to intensify the agitation. This gives rise to the suspicion that it is a well panned conspiracy!
Obviously, there is someone backing Hardik Patel as the latter is incapable of putting on a show of strength like this on his own.
The names doing the rounds are those of Arvind Kejriwal, Nitish Kumar and Pravin Togadia of the VHP. While Arvind and Nitish Kumar stand to gain politically or inconvenience Modi if they had orchestrated this agitation, Pravin Togadia has a reason too.
He was a very popular leader in Gujarat and at the forefront of the Hindutva brigade until he was sidelined by Modi. Modi came to power on the strength of having projected Gujarat as a model of development to the rest of the country.
Now as Prime Minister, it is a bit ironic that he faces his toughest challenge to date in his home state.
