Sone Lal Patel
Born(1950-07-02)2 July 1950
Kannauj District, Uttar Pradesh
Died18 October 2009(2009-10-18) (aged 59)
Kanpur
NationalityIndian
OccupationPolitician
Notable workFounding Apna Dal

Sone Lal Patel (1950–2009) was an Indian politician active in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He was the founder of the political party Apna Dal and one of the founding members of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

He staunchly opposed casteism and fought against social inequality.[1]

Early life

Sone Lal Patel was born on 2 July 1950 in Bagulihai village, Kannauj district, into a Kurmi Hindu family. He obtained an MSc from Pandit Prithi Nath College, Kanpur, and held a doctorate in Physics from Kanpur University. From an early age, he was a vocal critic of casteism and social inequality prevalent in society. He advocated for social justice and equality.[2]

Political career

Early political career

Sone Lal Patel embarked on his political journey by joining hands with Chaudhary Charan Singh, actively participating in protests and rallies against social inequality and caste exploitation across the state and other parts of the country. He even endured police brutality during one such protest.[3]

Meeting Kanshiram and BSP

Sone Lal Patel's path crossed with Kanshi Ram, who was striving to create a social justice movement in North India. Their visions regarding caste-based discrimination and social injustice aligned to a great extent. At the behest of Kanshi Ram, Patel played a significant role in the establishment of the Bahujan Samaj Party. He is credited as one of the founders of BSP.

Parting with BSP and founding Apna Dal

Due to dissatisfaction with the resolution and objectives of BSP, he separated from the party. One of the reasons for his disillusionment was Kanshi Ram's overwhelming support for Mayawati while ignoring other leaders.[4]

In response, driven by his commitment to social causes, he founded the political party Apna Dal on 4 November 1995. He contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 from Phulpur (Lok Sabha constituency).

Death and aftermath

Sone Lal Patel met with a tragic road accident in Kanpur in 2009. His daughter, Anupriya Patel, demanded a CBI probe into the incident.[5]

After his demise, his wife, Krishna Patel, assumed the role of the National President of Apna Dal.[6] His daughter, Anupriya Patel, was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from Mirzapur (Lok Sabha constituency). Subsequently, the party split, and Anupriya Patel formed her own party named 'Apna Dal (Sonelal)', winning from Mirzapur again in 2019 in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

References

  1. ↑ "Inside story of Apna Dal and Sone Lal Patel". Patrika News (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Apna Dal Sthapak Sone Lal Patel Ki Mani Jyanti". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Why did BJP use Lathi Charge on Apna Dal Founder Dr. Sone Lal Patel who turned from Hindu to Buddhist?". National Janmat. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Why did BJP use Lathi Charge on Apna Dal Founder Dr. Sone Lal Patel who turned from Hindu to Buddhist?". National Janmat. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Founder Sone Lal Patel's death anniversary". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Apna Dal National President Krishna Patel". Patrika News (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
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