×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Rift in Patel leadership widens

Last Updated 03 September 2015, 20:48 IST

The fault lines between the newly emerged Patel leadership that was at the forefront of quota stir in Gujarat appears to be deepening and widening.

Pitted against each other are 22-year-old Hardik Patel of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and his former guru Laljibhai Patel of the Sardar Patel Group (SPG).

While Hardik held a meeting with his supporters at Umiya Dham on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Thursday, Laljibhai gathered with his supporters exactly on the opposite side of the city at Kathwada. Both groups met to chalk out future strategy to take forward their agitation for inclusion of Patels in OBC category, post ‘Maha Kranti Rally’ on August 25.

Though on record both portray a similar facade of fighting for the Patel community – OBC status, reservations and justice for those killed, injured or arrested in recent violence — but agree that their paths are different. Hardik stressed on his ‘reverse Dandi Yatra’ from September 5 or September 6, Laljibhai maintained, “We support his initiative but you have to ask him about the yatra. On our part, we will hold prayer meetings across the state and light incense sticks to pay homage to Patels who lost lives in recent violence.”As Hardik spoke of giving roses to all Patel legislators in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly with request to make their stand clear on the issue, Laljibhai announced August 26 as Patel Shahid Din.

Even as both spoke of setting up a core committee of leading professionals and elders from the community to take forward the agitation, they differed on leadership issue.

“I shall lead the Dandi Yatra and speak during the journey,” Hardik said. Laljibhai on the other hand said, The rift has apparently left Patel agitation directionless. This was apparent in murmurs in the crowds gathered in both the gatherings.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 03 September 2015, 20:48 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT