AHMEDABAD:

quota agitation leader

and dalit leader and independent MLA from Vadgam, Jignesh

, who put up a united front against BJP in the recently-concluded

assembly elections, seem to be on a collision course over disputed land.

About a fortnight ago, five dalit families of

village in Ahmedabad went on an indefinite fast at the office of the mamlatdar in Detroj, seeking residential plots. Mevani visited the protesting dalits and backed their demand.

But the dominant Patidars in the village opposed it, saying that the dalits shouldn’t be given? plots as they belong to the village panchayat. They also sat on a protest at the mamlatdar office. Hardik also met the protesting Patidars on January 24, a day after Mevani met the dalits.

Eyebrows were raised when Hardik Patel tweeted: “Some goons of Gitapura village in Ahmedabad have encroached on village land which has been opposed by the villagers (Patels) who also sat on fast outside the office of Mamlatdar in Detroj. Anti-social elements should not be linked with any community.”

While the land issue has been resolved, with the administration allowing the dalit families to convert their farmland to non-agricultural land to build homes, the tweet has left dalit members furious. They even prepared to present a memorandum against Hardik to district collectors for his “offensive comments”.

Mevani and Hardik’s friendship peaked ahead of the Gujarat polls, when the Patidar leader congratulated his decision to contest. Mevani also defended Hardik during the sex-tape onslaught and threatened to launch a state-wide stir if the Patidar leader was arrested.

Kanu Sumra, a dalit activist working on land rights, said, “Five dalit families had gone on an indefinite fast, which lasted for around 12 days, in front of the mamlatdar’s office in Detroj. Instead of addressing the issue of the dalits, Hardik sat with his community members (Patels). The plot, measuring about half a vigha, was promised to dalits in 2013, when they were forced to leave the neighbouring Bhagapura village. He also called dalits ‘anti-social elements’. When threatened with a protest against him, he apologized for using such words.”

The issue was resolved as the dalits agreed to convert one vigha of agricultural land into non-agriculture land, with the government promising that it would bear the cost of building the houses,” said Sumra.

“Even if we disagree grossly on more than one issue, for the larger cause against these fascist forces of BJP, we join hands with each other. At the same time, I have my right to have reservations about him and he also has the right to have disagreement,” Mevani told TOI. Hardik was unavailable for comment despite several attempts.