Patidar quota leader Hardik Patel has objected to the invitation extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for laying the foundation stone for Umiya Dham complex here on March 4, calling it “shameful to allow a religious ceremony be converted into an election meeting of the BJP”. Advertising The complex is being developed by the Vishwa Umiya Foundation(VUF) of Kadva Patidar community with a budget of Rs 1,000 crore. In an open letter to the Foundation, Hardik, who also belongs to Kadva Patidar community, has warned the organisers of the event, saying that they “would be responsible if any untoward incident takes place at the event”. Hardik, who is currently on a three-day tour of Uttar Pradesh, wrote: “The Patidar community has been meted out inhuman treatment. Several Patidar youths lost their lives, cases of sedition were lodged against many Patidar youths, and even Patidar women were beaten by police in the last three years. Yet, some Patidar community leaders having political ambitions have bargained Kuldevi, Umiya Mata, by inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is very shameful.” “The foundation-laying ceremony is a religious event. If the foundation laying has to be done at the hands of a political leader only, then there are many Patidar leaders in the BJP and Congress. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Congress leader Siddharth Patel are both from the Patidar community. If the foundation laying is done by a leader of the community, it will make the event relevant. But the politically ambitious community leaders have forgotten the importance of the event and invited the PM instead… Does the Patidar community lack leaders from the community that they have to invite a leader from outside (the community) for such a function,” Hardik asked referring to Modi who belongs to OBC community. He also stated that it was not necessary to lay the foundation stone of the religious complex by a politician. “It can be done even at the hands of those who have sacrificed for the cause of the nation and members of former royal families who willingly merged their states into the Indian Union or this can be done at the hands of 101 Brahmins. But the politically ambitious leaders of the community have preferred to do it at the hands of their political boss,” Hardik wrote. Advertising “But everybody knows that a poll meeting for the BJP is being held on the pretext of Umiya Dham foundation-laying ceremony. But why insult Kuldevi for it,” Hardik said, adding, “it is quite natural for Patidar youths to become angry and under such a situation if anything untoward happens, then the leaders of community will be solely responsible for it.”

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