Hardik Patel to go on month-long break to detox, devise new protest plan

Quota agitation leader Hardik Patel has decided to focus on his health after calling off his 19-day fast on Wednesday. Sources said the Patel leader would use his month-long break to devise a new plan to register his demands and protest as his fast did not gain him the publicity he wanted.

"The fast caught attention of very few people in Gujarat, although several controversies started during the 19 days and many political celebrities visited him," said a leader close to Patel. "This has forced Hardik (Patel) to think of other ways of protest against the BJP government and he will muse on the same during his month-long break."

The leader said that Patel would first go to Bengaluru-based Jindal Institute of Naturopathy for a detox programme. "His kidneys have been affected by the long fast. Once he regains his health, he would think of a new formula. It is also possible that he may start Bharat Bhraman Yatra approaching different leaders across the nation for support," said Hardik's close confidante.

He also added that Patel's fast would have been more successful if Rahul Gandhi or Mamata Banerjee had visited him, but that did not happen. "We were expecting them to come but they did not turn up," he said.

A senior Congress MLA who visited Patel during his fast said: "It was not necessary for Rahul Gandhi to meet Hardik Patel during his fast programme. In fact, it was a lackluster show as he hardly connected with people through his fast and there was no overall impact on the masses."

On condition of anonymity, the opposition leader said the Congress would focus on farmers' issues and employment in Gujarat. "We got better response from people during our leaders' visits to different areas of Gujarat than what Hardik received during his fast, " added the MLA.

ON FAST TRACKS

• The fast caught attention of very few people in Gujarat, although several controversies started during the 19 days and many political celebrities visited him, said a leader close to Patel.
   
• On condition of anonymity, the opposition leader said the Congress would focus on farmers’ issues and employment in Gujarat.