Patidar stir: BJP disowns MLA Nalin Kotadiya after his call to boycott party

“Police have committed atrocities on innocent people on the orders of BJP-led state government. Such atrocities have never been committed in the tenure of Congress or any other party. We are fighting for reservation. Till the time the issue is decided, please, do not vote for BJP,” Kotadiya had reportedly appealed to the crowd at a public felicitation held by the Patidars for the MLA at Kami village of Dhari taluka in Amreli district. The event was organised to “thank him” for supporting the quota agitation.

[related-post]

On Monday, he demanded that the state government act against policemen responsible for the crackdown on Patidars after the August 25 rally, and threatened to “expose” some Cabinet ministers. “The issue of reservation will be resolved as per law. But, the government must take action against policemen responsible for lathicharge on the Patidars or I shall expose some of the Cabinet ministers who have privately spoken against the agitation,” he told The Indian Express.

The MLA recently launched an agitation against the proposed eco-sensitive zone around Gir forest. He called a one-day Dhari bandh last Wednesday, and was later booked for holding a protest without permission from the administration.

Kotadiya’s reported comments on Sunday did not go down well with BJP, which said it no longer recognises him as a party MLA.

“BJP has severed ties with Kotadiya. He was an import from Gujarat Parivartan Party (which later merged with BJP),” said state BJP general secretary Mansukh Mandavia. “He is not an active member of the BJP.”