Gujarat BJP slams Uddhav Thackeray for remarks about Patel community

AHMEDABAD — The ruling BJP in Gujarat on Saturday criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for claiming that the saffron party incited the Patel community and isolated it from others to win elections in the state.

Gujarat BJP spokesperson Dr Rutij Patel said Uddhav Thackeray should do some homework before making such comments.

"Uddhav Thackeray does not know anything about Gujarat. Here, BJP and the Patidar community (Patels) are two sides of a coin. The BJP gave three Patidar chief ministers and several state unit presidents in Gujarat," he said.

"Current chief minister Bhupendra Patel and several ministers are also from the community. Uddhav Thackeray should have done his homework before making such comments," he added.

Hitendra Patel, another BJP spokesperson, said Uddhav Thackeray should refrain from using the "language of Congress".

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The Patidar community played a key role in the BJP's rise in Gujarat and the party in turn played an important role in ensuring the community's progress, he said.

"Four Gujarat BJP presidents and three chief ministers -- Keshubhai Patel, Anandiben Patel and Bhupendra Patel -- were from Patidar community. It does not befit Thackeray to talk in the language of Congress, which believes in dividing people on the basis of caste and religion," said Patel.

Addressing a `victory rally' in Mumbai to celebrate the BJP-led Maharashtra government's decision to withdraw two orders introducing Hindi in state schools from Class 1, Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of isolating Patidars to win the 2017 assembly polls in Gujarat.

"What did they do in Gujarat? The atmosphere was such that Patels would defeat the BJP (in the 2017 polls). But they instigated the Patel community, isolated them and mobilised everyone other than Patels (to win)," said Thackeray.

"They did the same thing in Haryana, they instigated the Jats; the Jats came together and then they (BJP) brought everyone else together except Jats and acquired power. They did the same in Maharashtra.

They instigated the Marathas and brought together everyone other than the Marathas," he claimed.