Gujarat's surat magistrate court on friday acquitted bharatiya janata party (BJP) mla hardik patel of making a political speech in violation of the permission granted by the authority ahead of the december 2017 assembly elections. Judicial Magistrate supreet Kaur Gaba acquitted patel and Jignesh Waghsia, who had taken permission to organize the rally. The then district Magistrate had given permission for a “non-political” rally in Sarthana area of surat city on december 3, 2017, about a week before the assembly elections. It was alleged that patel, a former leader of the Patidar reservation movement, violated the conditions and gave a "political" speech at the rally.
Big relief to hardik Patel
In the conditional permission, the district Magistrate had made it clear that no speaker in the rally would speak in support or against any political party or candidate. patel was not affiliated with any party at that time. At that time, patel, who was leading the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, an organization demanding reservation, had given a speech at the rally. surat police registered an FIR against patel and Vaghasia under relevant sections of the gujarat police Act. police alleged that patel and rally organizer Vaghasia violated the conditions by giving political speeches at the rally. hardik was arrested in january 2019 and the chargesheet was filed within days of his arrest.
During the hearing, Patel's lawyer Yashwant Singh Vala argued that the prosecution did not provide any clear evidence to prove that patel had given any political speech or spoken in favor or against any political party or candidate. Vala also argued that no witness could clearly explain how hardik patel violated a condition of the permission. patel had joined congress after the 2017 elections. He joined bjp ahead of 2022 assembly elections and won from Viramgam assembly seat as a bjp candidate.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel