Curfew imposed, internet jammed in Gujarat as Patidars clash with police

Ahmedabad, Surat, Mehsana and Rajkot are under curfew as agitation took a violent turn and Patidars clashed with the police in Gujarat. Curfew has been imposed in parts of the cities in Gujarat and mobile internet has also been suspended.

On Sunday, Patidars thronged in Surat and marched towards the jail where Patel community spearhead Hardik Patel has been detained since last October to prevent the protests from spreading.

More than two dozen people were injured in Gujarat’s Mehsana town as a brawl broke out between protesters and the police deployed. At least 500 were detained in Surat yesterday, inciting fears of a comeback of the Patel community’s quota agitation. The government warehouses were gutted and about fifteen people have been held for the same.

Curfew was enforced in Mehsana where agitators went furious after the police turned down permission for a rally demanding the discharge of Hardik Patel from jail. Curfew has been imposed in Surat as well.

Stones were pelted on the police as they jammed the rally in Mehsana. The police detonated at least a dozen tear gas shells and had to charge batons, bruising several. Some policemen were also injured in the clashes.

Lochan Sehra, Mehsana’s District Collector said that the authorities had informed the protesters that the permission to take out rallies had been declined, but despite that they tried to do so. “There was stone pelting at the police following which police had to take action as per law,” he said

Hardik Patel, the 23-year old rabble-rouser spearhead of the Patel quota agitation, was arrested on charges of sedition in October, last year. His bail petitions have repeatedly been turned down by the courts.

Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel, who has made it clear that the demand of Patel community for reservation cannot be met, said, “Agitations keep going on, the government’s job is to serve the people.”

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Sunday, spoke to Chief Minister Anandiben Patel to reassess the situation in Gujarat.

The opposition Congress, meanwhile, has necessitated Anandiben’s resignation.

– Isha Kulkarni with inputs from NDTV

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