AHMEDABAD: The Visha Umiya Foundation, a social and religious trust of the Patidars, seems to be a divided house over the role of Quota Agitation leader Hardik Patel.

Nachiket Mukhi, a leader of Sardar Patel Group (SPG) who claims to be one of the 500 trustees of the Foundation, on Sunday issued a statement supporting the leadership of Hardik, three days after some other trustees alleged that the Patidar quota leader had been running a “private agitation”.

“Some Patidars opposing the stir are against Hardik. The quota agitation is supported by most Patidars but some people from BJP do not want it to succeed. They feel the success of the agitation will lead to the poll defeat of BJP, so they are making baseless statements,” Mukhi said.

“Our community has been supporting quota agitation leaders — Hardik Patel and Lalji Patel — but some people associated with BJP have started opposing them. We will keep agitating against the BJP government in Gujarat,” Mukhi added.

However, R P Patel, founder of the Vishwa Umiya Foundation, said Mukhi was a trustee. “Various Patidar organisations have given compensation to the families of people who died during the reservation stir. But this person (Mukhi) has never given a single penny to the community,” R P Patel said. “Hardik cannot dictate terms to the community regarding whom to vote for. The community will decide that,” he added.

C K Patel, president of the newly formed Patidar Core Committee, accused Hardik of running a “private agitation” because he started fighting against the BJP, ignoring the core agenda of OBC reservation.

“As long as he is fighting for reservation, we are with him. But if he starts fighting against BJP and indulges in politics, we will oppose him. If Congress ensures OBC quota tomorrow, then the community will have no problem with the party. But we oppose the politics being played in the name of reservation,” he said.

Hardik, however, denied allegations that he had been running a “private movement”. “There are only two key organisations in the Patidar community — Khodaldham (Kagvad) and Umiyadham (Unjha). They are our source of power. There are other small organisations too, but the value of these two are important,” Hardik said.