Responding to a Patel youth named Vipul Desai, who announced that he would commit suicide as a support to Patel community stir, Hardik Patel advised him to kill couple of police man rather than killing himself.

Hardik Patel, the 22-year-old Patel community agitation leader, said in Sura, "If you have so much courage, then go and kill a couple of policemen. Patels never commit suicide.” On Friday, Hardik visited Desai’s house along with media persons belonging to local news channel. The channel aired the conversation later.

Later, Desai revealed to reporters that he was advised by Hardik not to take his own life. Desai told, "He gave me the advice that we are sons of Patels and we should kill two to three policemen rather than thinking of suicide.”

Lalji Patel, the convener of the Sardar Patel Group (SPG) and the first one to begin the Patel community agitation for Patel reservation under OBC quota, has kept himself away from Hardik's advice. Lalji said, "Our agitation is being run in Gandhian way, so we should not talk about killing anybody. That was not a right statement by him. We must not make such statements which can spark off a class conflict in the society.”

"He should make sensible statements. As he has been accepted as the leader of the Patel community, such statements can harm our cause," Lalji added.

However, Hardik later denied of giving such an advice, saying that, "I have not given any advice to kill policemen. This is an attempt to misguide the people. If I am seen giving such a statement in any video or audio, then action should be taken against me.”

Also read: Lollipop Protest In Gujarat, Threatens Hardik Patel

-Sumana