The Supreme Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail till March 6 to Gujarat Congress leader Hardik Patel in a 2015 case of arson and violence lodged during the Patidar quota agitation, chiding the government for not doing “anything” on the matter in the past five years.

“Why are you opposing it (bail) now? You could not do anything during the past five years. No harm would arise if you wait for another five days,” a bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Vineet Saran told solicitor-general Tushar Mehta.

“The FIRs were registered more than five years ago and there was hardly any interrogation…. He (Hardik) has been alright even without any such relief!” the court added.