PATNA: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel’s posters in Patna offering help to people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Gujarat after the recent violence have invited sharp reactions from political parties in the state.The poster reads, “The migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and other non-Gujarati people can call on the helpline number 9978520793 or WhatsApp number 9638597524 if somebody either beat them for being a non-Gujarati or force them to leave his state.” The posters have the image of Hardik and one Sanjay Patel, who claimed to be the convener of Patel Jagrukta Manch in Bihar.When contacted over phone, Hardik told this newspaper on Wednesday that his workers were convincing people at railway stations not to leave Gujarat. “Our men visit the areas where north Indians live. We are also talking to locals against indulging in violence against non-Gujaratis. Our social media cell has distributed helpline numbers to contact us for any help,” he said.Asked about Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor’s role in the hate attacks on north Indians, Hardik said, “Whoever is guilty should be punished. But the Gujarat government has to find who are guilty for attacks on outsiders.”Reacting to the posters in Patna, state road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav said, “There is no need of such posters as the situation is becoming normal in Gujarat thanks to the state government’s efforts there.”He said Hardik was trying to take a political mileage. “If they really want to help people suffering from violence in Gujarat, they should have pasted posters there,” Yadav said.JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar mocked at the posters. “Hardik should first clarify his stand on the alleged role of Alpesh Thakor in the violence against north Indians. Hardik and Alpesh were close associates in Gujarat assembly elections,” he said.RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari termed the posters as “over excitement”. “The posters demonstrates nothing but over excitement. I don’t know whether such posters are pasted in Gujarat too, but there is no need of such posters here,” he said.Incidentally, Sanjay Patel is the district president of RJD’s youth wing in Vaishali. “We have pasted around 50 posters in Patna ,” he said.

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