Patel agitators call for bandh across Gujarat; curfew lifted in violence-hit Mehsana

Ahmedabad: Gujarat remains on edge on Monday, a day after a ‘jail bharo’ agitation by Patel (Patidar) leaders turned violent.

100 police personnel have been deployed in Surat district’s Dang.

ANI reports that two companies of State Reserve Police have been deployed in Valsad, one each in Navsari and Surat rural, and six have been deployed in Surat city.

News agency ANI confirms that Section 144 has beem lifted from Mehsana.

09:25 AM
As per NDTV, curfew has been lifted in Mehsana where violence was witnessed on Sunday. However, tight security remains in place in major cities of Gujarat with Internet services having been blocked on mobile phones in Ahmedabad, Surat, Mehsana and Rajkot till at least this evening. However, schools and colleges are open today.

09:20 AM
As per reports, five policemen were also injured in Sunday’s clashes.

09:15 AM
While Patel leaders have given a bandh call for Monday, no fresh violence has been reported since Sunday afternoon, when clashes took place between protesters and police.

09:10 AM
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded CM Anandiben’s resignation. Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said “the government has failed in the state”.

09:00 AM
Ahmedabad: Gujarat remains on edge on Monday, a day after a ‘jail bharo’ agitation by Patel (Patidar) leaders turned violent.

A bandh call has been given by Patel protesters for Monday, for the entire state of Gujarat to protest against Sunday’s police action.

Patel protesters were marching towards prisons as part of the ‘jail bharo’ agitation on Sunday in Mehsana to demand the release of their leader Hardik Patel, who has been in jail since October last year on charges of sedition, when they were stopped by police.

The situation soon turned violent with the police resorting to baton-charge and firing of tear gas shells to stop the protesters from marching forward.

Authorities were then forced to impose curfew and deploy the Border Security Force (BSF) in Mehsana. Besides, police and paramilitary forces were also deployed in all north Gujarat towns, including Ahmedabad and Surat – both known strongholds of the pro-quota Patels.

Violence was witnessed in Surat as well on Sunday.

More than 1,000 agitators from the Patel community in Mehsana and over 500 in Surat were taken into preventive custody as large crowds gathered near the district jails in both places in defiance of prohibitory orders.

Authorities suspended Internet services and mobile phone applications till Monday morning in Mehsana and other north Gujarat towns after the violence to prevent the spread of incendiary information.

During the violence on Sunday, unruly mobs also attacked the camp offices of Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel and Health Minister Nitin Patel, who is also the head of the committee of seven ministers constituted by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel to hold talks with the two Patidar outfits — Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Sardar Patel Group (SPG).

The two ministers were also targeted during the violence on the night of August 25 last year following police action at a massive rally in Ahmedabad.

The agitators also set on fire an FCI godown and a state government building in Mehsana, and torched a sub divisional magistrate’s vehicle and a state transport bus.

Two buses of the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) were attacked with stones in Patidar-domiated Ghatlodia area of Ahmedabad. A group of Patels also blocked the Bhavnagar-Talaja highway in Saurashtra region.

SPG convener Lalji Patel sustained head injuries as his supporters pelted stones at policemen. Gujarati TV channels quoted police as saying that Patel was hurt in the stone-throwing and not baton-charge.

Lalji Patel along with his supporters was also taken into preventive custody.

The SPG and the PAAS have been agitating for reservation for Patels in government jobs and educational institutions under the Other Backward Classes category.

The SPG had earlier announced its second round of agitation if its demands were not met by April 17.

Reacting to the violence, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel sent across a clear message: “Our government is for the people and not for agitators.”

She issued a statement asking people to maintain peace and harmony and not get waylaid by rumours.

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Source:zeenews