After 19 days, Hardik Patel ends his 'indefinite fast' with lemonade

Hardik Patel Hunger strike: Hardik broke the fast by having lemonade from the hands of Patidar community leaders Naresh Patel and C K Patel. After ending his fast, the quota leader said, "The fight for quota for my community and farm loan waiver will continue".

AFP PHOTO / SAM PANTHAKY/ File

Ahmedabad: Hardik Patel, the Patidar Ananmat Andolan Samiti leader ended his indefinite fast Wednesday after 19 days, even as there were no talks between him and the Gujarat government over the leader's demands for reservation to Patidars and farm loan waiver. Hardik broke the fast by having lemonade from the hands of Patidar community leaders Naresh Patel and C K Patel.  After ending his fast, the quota leader said, "The fight for quota for my community and farm loan waiver will continue". Hardik had begun his indefinite hunger strike on August 25 at his residence. Hardik went on the indefinite fast demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the Patidar community and waiver of farm loans. Later, he added another demand that his close aide Alpesh Kathiria, who was recently arrested in a 2015 sedition case by the city Crime Branch, be released.

किसानों एवं समाज की कुलदेवी श्री उमिया माताजी मंदिर-उंझा और श्री खोड़ल माताजी मंदिर-क़ागवड के प्रमुख लोगों ने मुझे कहा कि तुम्हें ज़िंदा रहकर लड़ाई लड़नी हैं।सब का सम्मान करते हुए अनिश्चितकालिन उपवास आंदोलन के आज उन्नीसवें दिन दोपहर तीन बजे उपवास आंदोलन ख़त्म करूँगा

— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) September 12, 2018

The government had not made any attempt to negotiate with Hardik. The 25-year-old quota agitation leader was also admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated last Friday - the 14th day of his fast. After spending two days in hospital, he had returned to his house and continued the hunger strike. While he had started taking liquids and was administered glucose at the hospital, the Patidar leader claimed he did not take any solid food during the fast. On September 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government had reacted to the agitation and claimed that Hardik's quota movement was a "politically-motivated" agitation with the backing of the Congress.