Two weeks after an unprecedented show of strength by the Patel community, a coalition which had sought OBC status for the community has seen a split. The Hindustan Times
has reported that the Sardar Patel Group has parted ways with the umbrella group, citing differences with the group led by Hardik Patel. [caption id=“attachment_2428518” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Image courtesy: PTI[/caption] “We are not with an individual but with the cause,” the report quoted the breakaway group’s leader Lalji Patel as saying. Last week, the
Indian Express had quoted
Lalji Patel as saying that Hardik outwitted him by using social media effectively. Lalji was quoted as saying that while he gave Hardik Patel the responsibility of handling the social media, Hardik created the impression that he was running the movement. He is further said to have claimed that when Lalji asked him for the password for the social media accounts, he gave an incorrect password to him. According to the HT report, while Hardik Patel has taken an aggressive approach, Lalji Patel espouses a more gradual approach. It said that after the two groups have parted ways, Hardik has been facing difficulties in keeping the protests going as about a million Sardar Patel Group members will now be staying away. Lalji Patel
had earlier said
that no one person was the leader of the agitation, and that it was a protest by the entire community. He had then said that all the leaders of the Patidar communities had decided to merge all existing communities into one single entity.