In a signal that he is the numero uno leader of agitation seeking quotas for the Patidar community, Hardik Patel sacked two key aides Chirag and Ketan from the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), who had challenged his leadership while questioning his integrity.
The duo, who had also gone to jail after Ahmedabad police has slapped sedition case against them and Hardik, had recently accused the 23 year old exile leader Patel for using the quota agitation to further his personal ambitions and also misusing the funds collected to run the agitation .
The announcement of their sacking was made by Patel after a meeting of all conveners of PAAS at Udaipur, where he is based for six months as par the condition the Gujarat High Court set to allow him bail in two sedition cases, in Rajasthan on Sunday.
“Ketan Patel and Chirag Patel had levelled baseless allegations against me. Thus, all the district conveners of PAAS unanimously decided to suspend both of them from the quota body,” Patel told media persons inUdaipur after the meeting concluded.
Patel also accused Chirag and Ketan of joining “hands with the BJP to divide the Patel community in the state ahead of the assembly polls next year.”
Subsequently, the PAAS has issued a press release stating the decision. Cracks developed in PAAS after Chirag and Ketan, once very close to Patel, levelled a string of charges against him in an open letter issued on August 22.
The duo were among the founding conveners of PAAS, had alleged that Patel used the stir as a tool to satisfy his ambition to emerge as a leader and that he has become a “crorepati” within one year of the movement that was launched to seek OBC quota for Patels in government jobs and education in the state.
They alleged that Patel’s “dictatorial style” has ruined the chances of the community getting reservation benefits and OBC status in the state.
