<p>After a six-year ban from entering the Mehsana district for violence during the 2015 Patidar agitation for reservation, the Gujarat High Court Friday lifted the prohibition temporarily against BJP leader Hardik Patel, allowing him to enter the district. The district houses the temple of Maa Umiya, the reigning deity of the influential Kadva Patidar community to which Hardik belongs.</p>.<p>The relief came a day after he was given a BJP ticket to contest from his native Viramgam Assembly seat. In</p>.<p>The state had vehemently opposed Hardik's plea to enter the district, which was the epicentre of the Patidar agitation led by Hardik.</p>.<p>Justice S H Vora heard the matter briefly and allowed the petition after government advocate Mitesh Amin didn't oppose it. Hardik's lawyer Rafik Lokhandwala said, "The court has allowed the petition, granting him relief to enter Mehsana for a year. The other petition seeking permanent deletion of this prohibition was adjourned to January 2023."</p>.<p>The court had barred Hardik from entering the Mehsana district border as one of the bail conditions in connection to a criminal case of vandalising a BJP MLA's office in Visnagar during a rally during the agitation. Hardik, 29, was leading the agitation as a convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). In 2018, he was found guilty and was sentenced to two years in jail.</p>.<p>His previous litigation for deletion of this condition had been rejected following the state government's opposition. In December 2019, the state opposed his plea to be allowed to visit Mehsana to participate in a religious function at Umiya Mata temple. The government had cited his past criminal cases to say that he "wanted to visit the temple to reap a political benefit." The government had said that his presence in Mehsana "will create a law and order problem". </p>.<p>Recently, Hardik had moved a fresh petition through Lokhandwala seeking permission to enter Mehsana for a year. Seeing relief for a year from November 7, 2022, Hardik has stated in the petition, he was a "social worker, leader of community and member of BJP".</p>.<p>The petition reads: "The applicant is an aspiring candidate to contest the upcoming Gujarat Assembly poll. Being a political leader, the applicant needs to travel frequently in various parts of Gujarat including that of Mehsana for campaigning and fulfilling the political obligation cast upon him."</p>.<p>"Therefore, for all the lawful, legitimate, genuine, social and religious purposes, he needs to enter the district Mehsana. The temple of the kooldevi (Umya Mataji) of the applicant is also situated at Unjha, Mehsana. Due to the above harsh conditions, the applicant has not visited the above temple for the last six years and thereby he is deprived of performing religious prayers and rituals..."</p>.<p>Hardik is still facing over a dozen criminal cases including two separate cases of sedition in Surat and Ahmedabad. In June this year, he left Congress as its Gujarat working president and joined BJP.</p>
<p>After a six-year ban from entering the Mehsana district for violence during the 2015 Patidar agitation for reservation, the Gujarat High Court Friday lifted the prohibition temporarily against BJP leader Hardik Patel, allowing him to enter the district. The district houses the temple of Maa Umiya, the reigning deity of the influential Kadva Patidar community to which Hardik belongs.</p>.<p>The relief came a day after he was given a BJP ticket to contest from his native Viramgam Assembly seat. In</p>.<p>The state had vehemently opposed Hardik's plea to enter the district, which was the epicentre of the Patidar agitation led by Hardik.</p>.<p>Justice S H Vora heard the matter briefly and allowed the petition after government advocate Mitesh Amin didn't oppose it. Hardik's lawyer Rafik Lokhandwala said, "The court has allowed the petition, granting him relief to enter Mehsana for a year. The other petition seeking permanent deletion of this prohibition was adjourned to January 2023."</p>.<p>The court had barred Hardik from entering the Mehsana district border as one of the bail conditions in connection to a criminal case of vandalising a BJP MLA's office in Visnagar during a rally during the agitation. Hardik, 29, was leading the agitation as a convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). In 2018, he was found guilty and was sentenced to two years in jail.</p>.<p>His previous litigation for deletion of this condition had been rejected following the state government's opposition. In December 2019, the state opposed his plea to be allowed to visit Mehsana to participate in a religious function at Umiya Mata temple. The government had cited his past criminal cases to say that he "wanted to visit the temple to reap a political benefit." The government had said that his presence in Mehsana "will create a law and order problem". </p>.<p>Recently, Hardik had moved a fresh petition through Lokhandwala seeking permission to enter Mehsana for a year. Seeing relief for a year from November 7, 2022, Hardik has stated in the petition, he was a "social worker, leader of community and member of BJP".</p>.<p>The petition reads: "The applicant is an aspiring candidate to contest the upcoming Gujarat Assembly poll. Being a political leader, the applicant needs to travel frequently in various parts of Gujarat including that of Mehsana for campaigning and fulfilling the political obligation cast upon him."</p>.<p>"Therefore, for all the lawful, legitimate, genuine, social and religious purposes, he needs to enter the district Mehsana. The temple of the kooldevi (Umya Mataji) of the applicant is also situated at Unjha, Mehsana. Due to the above harsh conditions, the applicant has not visited the above temple for the last six years and thereby he is deprived of performing religious prayers and rituals..."</p>.<p>Hardik is still facing over a dozen criminal cases including two separate cases of sedition in Surat and Ahmedabad. In June this year, he left Congress as its Gujarat working president and joined BJP.</p>
