Even as Gujarat is teetering on violence and the government grapples with the agitation for reservations, a section of the Twitterati who appear to have a decidedly anti-reservation stance, have lampooned Hardik Patel, who's spearheading the Patel agitation for reservations within the Other Backward Classes.
For the past two months, Patel, a young commerce graduate, has been holding massive rallies in small towns and large cities, threatening to 'make or break the Gujarat government.'
On Tuesday, Patel, the convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, was briefly detained by the Ahmedabad police for staying on at the protest site for a hunger strike beyond the permitted time. He has now been released by the police.
But social media has been unsparing.
#YoHardikSoReserved has been trending on Twitter since Monday. Social media is mocking Patel and is now abuzz with conspiracy theories about him.
What Hardik Patel does:
Hardik Patel never fill petrol tank of his bike more than a litre so as to see the fuel indicator under reserve part : #YoHardikSoReserved
β ThakurSaab. (@HathwalaThakur) August 25, 2015
#YoHardikSoReserved that he wants trees in his garden to continue photosynthesis even during nights
β Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) August 25, 2015
What he should have done:
my only comment on Hardik Patel is that he should have studied harder.
β Harini Calamur (@calamur) August 26, 2015
NaMo should have introduced Hardik Patel to social media. Dude is just 22yrs, heβd spend all time on Twitter, Tinder, become entrepreneur.
β Anupam Gupta (@b50) August 26, 2015
Things Hardik Patel is capable of:
Exclusive image of Hardik patel beating superman pic.twitter.com/zIFziKnluw
β Andy (@BeingContinuous) August 26, 2015
#YoHardikSoReserved that IRCTC officials go to his place to offer him a ticket.
β 100rabh (@doordhwani) August 25, 2015
He may be the hope for many:
Looking to Hardik Patel - Ashmit Patel was found in a sad state hoping for reservations in Bollywood. pic.twitter.com/3zvtvffYKW
β ThakurSaab. (@HathwalaThakur) August 25, 2015
And, since he is now a social media celeb, these are things that Twitter thinks must be named after him:
#YoHardikSoReserved that IRCTC is introducing a special Tier called Hardik Patel
β Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) August 25, 2015
#YoHardikSoReserved that he wants Reserve Bank of India to be known as "Patel Bank of India".
β Harsh Singh (@singhharsh_7) August 25, 2015
Contact HuffPost India