He failed to appear before it in a case related to vandalising BJP legislator Rushikesh Patel’s office in Visnagar from where the quota agitation was launched in 2015.

A court in Gujarat issued a non-bailable warrant against Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel after he failed to appear before it in a case related to vandalising BJP legislator Rushikesh Patel’s office in Visnagar from where the quota agitation was launched in 2015.

Cases were registered against 17 others too for the incident that took place during a protest rally in 2015.

'Patidar leaders targeted'

Another warrant was issued against another Patidar leader, Lalji Patel, who had contended that at a time when an anti-BJP atmosphere was prevailing ahead of the Assembly polls, Patidar leaders were being targeted by the authorities.

“I have attended all hearings in the court regularly,” Mr. Patel, who heads the Sardar Patel Group, told reporters in Mehsana district.

Dinesh Bambhania, a close aide of Mr. Hardik Patel and a key member of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), also slammed the State government for ''making attempts to put Mr. Hardik Patel behind the bars before the Assembly polls.''

He said, “This shows the BJP’s nervousness. On the one hand, the entire State machinery is snooping and spying on Hardik, leaking video footage of his meetings and on the other, such arrest warrants are issued.”

Mr. Hardik Patel on Wednesday held a roadshow in Botad district in Saurashtra and addressed a rally attended by thousands of the community members.