BJP MLA Hardik Patel Faces Trial in 2018 Patidar Rioting Case

BJP MLA Hardik Patel faces charges stemming from a 2018 rioting case during the Patidar reservation protest in Gujarat. Charged at the Ahmedabad rural court, his trial is set to begin. Patel, who led the Patidar Anamata Andolan Samiti and joined BJP after a political shift, is contesting these charges.

An Ahmedabad court has formally charged BJP MLA Hardik Patel in connection with a 2018 rioting case related to the Patidar reservation protests that shook Gujarat. The development occurred on Tuesday when Judicial Magistrate First Class GB Siag instituted charges against the Viramgam legislator.

The charges, registered at Nikol police station, span several offenses, including rioting and criminal conspiracy, stemming from the quota agitation that Patel orchestrated. The protest, linked to a symbolic fast initiated by PAAS on August 18, 2018, lacked official police consent.

Patel, once a key figure in the Patidar Anamata Andolan Samiti, aligned with the BJP after his defection from the Congress. He successfully contested the 2022 assembly elections as a BJP candidate from Viramgam. Despite his political realignment, legal battles from his activist days continue to loom large.

(With inputs from agencies.)