AHMEDABAD: The state unit of the Congress may not be supporting the Patidar demand for OBC reservations but its leaders have gone all out to lend legal help to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders facing cases in connection with their stir. After Gujarat Congress’s legal cell chief BM Mangukiya, the latest entrant is none other than top lawyer and Congress politician, former Union law minister Kapil Sibal .

Sibal has offered to defend PAAS convener Hardik Patel free in the Supreme Court. He is appearing for Hardik in the latter’s appeal against Gujarat high court’s decision not to quash sedition charges slapped on him by Surat police.

READ ALSO: SC sends Hardik’s sedition plea to another bench

It needs mention that the Patidar agitation has emerged as the biggest threat to the BJP government in Gujarat. While Anandiben Patel government has been trying hard to pacify the angry Patidars — they are among the most loyal voters of the party — the Congress is aiming to make the most of the unrest and the perceived shift in Patel loyalty.

“Sibal is contesting the case for Patidar leaders without charging any fee,” said Hardik’s counsel B M Mangukiya, who had contested assembly polls twice on Congress ticket – from Sihor in 2007 and Gariadhar in 2012 – but lost on both occasions.

Mangukiya is fighting all legal battles of 11 PAAS leaders, including its convener Hardik Patel .

These cases include the habeas corpus petition that was filed when Hardik Patel vanished for a day, cases of sedition and waging war against the state lodged against Hardik Patel and others, as well as opposing several remand applications in lower courts.

READ ALSO: SC defers hearing Hardik Patel petition against sedition charge

The third advocate who represents the PAAS leaders in lower courts is advocate Rafiq Lokhandwala who, too, is a member of the GPCC legal cell.

The ruling BJP, which has been on the back foot following the Patidar quota stir and had even tried to delay the local body polls in the state, targeted the Patidar leaders as soon as advocate Mangukiya started representing cases pertaining to the quota stir.

On September 22 midnight, when advocate Mangukiya went to high court judges’ residence to file a habeas corpus petition for Hardik, the BJP legal cell’s advocate J J Patel was also present and had addressed the media. He had accused the Congress of instigating and guiding the Patidar community to raise the demand for OBC quota which cannot be fulfilled by the state government.

Read this story in Hindi: हार्दिक पटेल से कपिल सिब्बल ने कहा, 'मैं हूं न '