Hardik Patel rushed to hospital (SECOND LEAD)

Ahmedabad : Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel was on Friday rushed to a hospital on the 14th day of his indefinite fast as he complained of difficulty in breathing, even as he tweeted soon after that the BJP Government remained indifferent to the demands of the farmers and Patidars.

He was admitted to the Government Civil Hospital in Sola a day after he gave up taking water in protest against the government ignoring his demands.

Minutes after he was hospitalized, the 25-year-old leader tweeted in Hindi that, "I am having difficulty in breathing. I have been admitted to hospital. The BJP (and its government) are ignoring farmers' woes and demands of Patidars."

His associates in the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), who had given a 24-hour ultimatum till Thursday to the Bharatiya Janata Party government to hold negotiations with him, rushed him to the hospital.

"Hardik was not willing to go to hospital and was adamant with his fast. But today when he went to washroom, he fell on the ground. After that all of us decided to rush him to hospital and brought him her forcibly," Geeta Patel, a close associate and member of Patel's core team, told reporters.

A three-member team of doctors, including a nephrologist, are treating Patel in an Intensive Care Unit. Patel's blood and urine samples have been taken and the reports were awaited.

The firebrand leader has lost over 20kg in the past two weeks. His kidney and liver had been affected by his continuous fast, PAAS leader Manoj Panara told reporters.

Patel is on indefinite fast since August 25 demanding reservations for his community, debt waiver to farmers and release of his associate Alpesh Kathiria, who is in jail on sedition charges.