It’s Official: Former Congress Leader Of Gujarat Hardik Patel To Join BJP

Bhubaneswar: As expected, former working president of Gujarat Congress Hardik Patel will join BJP in an official function at Gandhinagar on June 2.

Sources in the BJP on Tuesday confirmed that Hardik will be welcomed to the party fold at the function which is likely to be attended by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state president CR Patil, ministers and top leaders. The sources, however, did not confirm whether any Central leader of the party would be present at the function.

After resigning from Congress on May 19, Hardik had levelled various charges against the party. The Patidar leader had stated that instead of addressing the serious issues in Gujarat, the state Congress leaders were only interested in placating the Central leaders.

There were speculations about his joining BJP after he issued some pro-Hindutva statements. He slammed the Congress for hate speech by some party leaders against Hindus and Lord Ram. “A former Union minister and Gujarat Congress leader made a statement that dogs urinate on the bricks of Ram temple,” Patel had said in a tweet.

“What enmity do you have against Lord Shri Ram? Why hate Hindus so much? After centuries, a temple of Lord Shri Ram is also being built in Ayodhya, yet the leaders of Congress keep making statements against Lord Ram,” the young leader of Gujarat had said.

However, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor has claimed that Patel quit the party as he was afraid that he might have to go to jail in sedition cases registered against him. The Assembly elections in the state are slated to be held this year.