Hardik begins 3-day Sankalp Yatra to revive Patel stir

As the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel began his three-day ‘ Sankalp Yatra’ (Determination journey) from Ahmedabad to Somnath.

The rally, comprising a convoy of 182 cars, will culminate at the temple town of Somnath, about 411 km from Ahmedabad, on September 16. Several meetings with locals have also been planned en route.

PAAS, the organisation that has been fighting for reservations for socially, politically and economically powerful Patel community to government jobs and educational institutions hope for maximum reach en route. The idea is to give a boost to the stir and put the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a spot during the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.

“By the time we reach Somnath, we will be joined by over 1100 vehicles. The rally aims to highlight our demand and our resolve to continue the agitation for our just demands. We will also raise the issues of unemployment, of farmers and those affecting common people in Gujarat,” Hardik said, claiming that other than Patidaars, people from other communities, including upper castes, OBCs, Dalits and Muslims, too would join the rally.

The rally would travel from Ahmedabad to Somnath via Viramgam, Malwan, Halvad, Morbi, Tankara, Padhri, Kalavad-Khodalgam, Vijapur, Jetpur, Jetalsar, Chokhi, Vanthali, Keshod and Ajaab.
Several vehicles that began the Sankalp rally carried banners including pictures of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Chhatrapati Shivaji and Bhagat Singh.