Aides level graft charges against Hardik

The rift for control of the Patel quota stir once again came out in open, with key associates of Hardik Patel leveling charges of financial irregularities against him.

In an open letter addressed to Hardik, the leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), two of his associates, Dinesh Bhambaniya and Chirag Patel, charged that Hardik and his uncle have been amassing wealth in the name of the agitation.

“We want to tell you that all of us have experienced jail sentence, but it is nothing compared to the sacrifice of those who have given up their lives for our cause. We are sad to see that instead of helping the families of the martyrs for the cause, you, your uncle Vipul and close friends are moving around in luxurious cars. You should not forget what your financial position was before the beginning of the agitation,” the letter stated.

“Generally, a person going to jail loses his income, but in your case, it has been the opposite and you have become a millionaire.”

Both cited the situation of the family of Pratik, who was killed in police firing during the agitation. “We felt sad to see his family run helter-skelter to even rent a place to get him treated. You always claimed that you would be the first one to take a bullet, but now, you don’t have a word of compassion for those who took the bullet,” the letter added.

Dinesh and Chirag were considered to be Hardik’s closest aides in the beginning of the stir, so much so that their three-men team appeared inseparable. Their team also caused heartburn among many other Patel leaders, who gradually distanced themselves from PAAS.