Mahesana

Differences among the Patidar quota agitation leaders once again came to fore today when one of them, Lalji Patel, resigned as chief of the group he was heading after he was not allowed to go on the stage of a community meet in Mehasana.

Head of Sardar Patel Group (SPG), Lalji faced the ire of members from another outfit, Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), when he arrived at the meeting’s venue, about 65km from here.

PAAS and SPG are the two organisations which are leading the agitation for reservation to Patels in jobs and education in Gujarat under the OBC category.

As Lalji reached the meeting venue, organised by the community’s women, some PAAS members shouted slogans against him and an announcement was made that he should not be allowed on the stage.

Feeling slighted, Lalji immediately left the venue.

“This is the biggest insult I have faced in my life and I have decided to tender my resignation from the post of President of SPG,” an angry Lalji later told reporters.

“If I am insulted in this way then I have no right to be a leader of Patel quota agitation. I have spent 17 years of my life serving the people of the community,” he maintained.

Lalji said that a handful of PAAS members including their Mahesana man Suresh Patel, who was also instrumental in trying to stop him from going on the stage during the August 25 pro reservation rally in GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, insulted him with selfish motive.

‘I was not even invited for the function but went there as a son of Patidar community. The public asked for my presence on the stage and an announcement for the same was being done but Suresh created the nuisance and after snatching the microphone started shouting over it that I should not go up. I was even heckled and insulted. For public order I left the venue. I immediately expressed my wish to resign from the SPG convener post,’ he said.

SPG General Secretary and spokesperson Purvin Patel, however, said that the outfit won’t accept the resignation.

The incident has once again brought to light deep divisions between the Patel community leaders at a time when they are engaged in talks with the State Government to reach a compromise on the quota and related issues.

In the past, Lalji and Hardik have criticised each other and differed over the way the quota agitation should be taken forward.

The BJP government has roped in senior party MP and Patel leader Vitthal Radadia for negotiations on its behalf. Radadia has met Hardik, arrested on sedition charges, in jail twice in the last week and has said their talks are going in positive direction.

Meanwhile, Patel women in large number were present at the meet, where they forcefully reiterated the demand for reservation for the politically influential community.

During the function which was also attended by Hardik’s father Bharat Patel, Mother Ushaben and sister Monica along with the family members of other jailed PAAS leaders, Nalin Kotadiya, MLA (who had won the assembly seat on GPP ticket) claimed that the ongoing effort to resolve the quota stir issue was a conspiracy of the BJP government.

The gathering also demanded that cases against their community members, including Hardik, be dropped by the State.

Besides 22-year-old Hardik, three of his top aide are also behind bars on sedition charges.

With inputs from agency