Hardik Patel, the face of Patel quota stir in Gujarat, has announced plans for a nation-wide agitation seeking reservation for nearly "27 crore people" of various communities including Gujjars and Kurmis.
'Today, after mustering courage, I am resigning from the party post and primary membership of the Congress'
The decision comes a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said a government-appointed committee scrutinised 1.72 crore old documents (including those of Nizam-era) and among them, 11,530 records were found where Kunbi caste was mentioned.
Unprecedented violence... Mobs determined to teach Delhi a lesson... An incompetent chief minister... Losses of over Rs 200 billion. Haryana's Jat agitation has a somber message for the nation.
To enable the 5 per cent quota for the Kapus, the Centre will have to include it in Schedule 9 of the Constitution so as to insulate it from court's scrutiny.
The girl mentioned in the note that she had secured 89 per cent marks in her Class 10 exams held earlier this year, but could not get admission under a category where her family could have paid less fees, Sanas said.
Jarange, who was earlier on a hunger strike in the village over his demand for reservation for the Maratha community under the OBC category, had ended his fast on September 14 on the 17th day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met him and assured to fulfil his demand.
About 18 lakh employees and officers of the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday went on a flash strike boycotting work in protest against attempts at "forcible passage" of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes quota bill in Rajya Sabha, saying the stir will continue.
The Jats, who went on a rampage to demand quota, attacked the showrooms of only non-Jats.
The 22-year-old leader will stay at a house owned by former Congress member of legislative assembly and local Patel leader Pushkarlal Patel in Udaipur for the period.
He blamed 'bad elements' encouraged by ruling Telugu Desam Party for the violence that erupted at Tuni in the district on Sunday, and alleged that the TDP government tried to suppress his agitation by creating obstacles to the public meeting.
Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and education.
'The brazen politics, in this series of bullying of AMU by functionaries of the Union and provincial governments, utterly disregarding the fact that the matter is sub judice, is quite obvious.' 'One needs to see through the desperate politics of the BJP which governs both Uttar Pradesh and the Centre, especially its woes over its Dalit support base,' says AMU Professor Mohammad Sajjad.
The Patel quota agitation leader formed the Patel Navnirman Sena bringing together the Patels, Kurmis and Gujjars.
Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, arrested by the city crime branch on the charges of sedition and waging war against the government, on Monday filed a plea in the Gujarat high court seeking to have the first information report against him quashed.
Army was called in on Wednesday to help control widespread violence sparked by quota agitation by Patel community in Gujarat which has claimed seven lives even as curfew was clamped in several areas.
Hundreds of Patel community youths welcomed Hardik as he entered his home state through the Ratanpur border.
Stakes are high for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party against the backdrop of Patel quota agitation while Congress is pinning on hopes to make a comeback.
Ketan Patel is among four Patel quota stir leaders who have been charged with sedition along with Hardik.
The court has also made it clear that it will also consider the contentions of the petitioner whether the caste-based policy of reservation shall not divide this great country along caste lines.
'In the history of India this kind of scores and ranks has never happened in exams.'
Haryana was again on the edge on Thursday with the 72-hour deadline set by Jats for resuming their agitation over quota from on set to come to an end on Thursday night.
A man demanding reservation for the community jumped to his death in a river in Aurangabad district.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other party leaders were booed off stage as the members of Hardik Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti created ruckus and vanadalised furniture at a programme to felicitate Patel leaders in Surat.
All the essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh.
Patel had made a political speech in violation of a government order at a village in the district ahead of the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday voiced concern over the damage to public property during agitations, saying the country cannot be held to ransom and that it will lay down parameters for fixing accountability for the losses.
Expressing concern over damage to public and private properties during violent protests, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would lay down "parameters" to fix accountability for losses on organisers as the country cannot be held to "ransom".
Gujarat high court on Tuesday said there is prima facie case of sedition against Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, while refusing to quash the FIR filed against him in Surat.
The status report, filed before a division bench of justices S K Mittal and H S Sidhu, "denied the charges of molestation and gangrape during the intervening night of February 22/23 at Murthal in Sonipat district."
Mevani, after his meeting with the Gandhi scion, said he would ask his community members to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the Gujarat polls.
Minister Jayant Patil said the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government favoured granting relief to those who were falsely implicated.
Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence in Gujarat during quota agitation by Patels, saying it was a repercussion of the "politics of anger" pursued by Modi.
The government would extend to the Maratha community the educational concessions given to OBCs.
Sporadic incidents of arson were on Monday reported as life in violence-torn Haryana limped back to normal with curfew being lifted gradually and Jat protesters starting to lift blockades after the Bharatiya Janata Party announced setting up of a committee to examine the quota demand of the community.
The court of Justice SH Vora granted temporary relief to Patel, who had filed the bail modification petition on November 7 on the ground that he wanted to offer prayers at the temple of his kuldevi (local deity).
Gujarat high court on Friday granted bail to Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel in two sedition cases, with a rider that he will have to stay outside the state for the next six months.
The latest development comes a day after the BJP decided to support Nitish Kumar's human chain for prohibition next week.
A local court on Friday remanded the Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel in judicial custody while rejecting further remand application of the police in connection with the case of sedition filed against him for allegedly advising a youth to kill policemen.
The three-member committee of women police officers constituted to receive complaints regarding alleged rape of women at Murthal near Sonepat during the Jat stir on Saturday visited the site of the alleged incident.
