Ahmedabad, Aug 26: Hardik Patel, spearheading the agitation to demand OBC reservation for the Patel community in Gujarat, has called for a state-wide bandh on Wednesday.
Patel was briefly detained on Tuesday evening by Gujarat Police for launching a hunger strike without prior permission before being released.
He also urged his community members to maintain peace as several parts of the state witnessed incidents of violence and curfew was imposed in three towns of the state and some areas of Surat following his detention.
"I make an appeal to maintain peace and keep calm. I give a call for Gujarat bandh tomorrow.
"This decision has been taken by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti considering widespread violence in the state," Hardik, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti which is spearheading the agitation, said on Tuesday evening.
As the news of detention of Patel spread, violence broke out first in Ahmedabad and later spread to other cities like Surat, Mehsana, Rajkot and some interior areas of the state.
Paramilitary forces like State Reserve Police Force, BSF and Rapid Action Force have been deployed in cities like Ahmedabad and Mehsana. However, no casualties have been reported in the state so far.
In Ahmedabad, city buses and police posts were set on fire, while stone-pelting was reported from various parts of Gujarat, state control room officials said.
Police had to resort to lathicharge and lob teargas shells to control the situation.
Curfew imposed
Curfew was imposed in Mehsana city and Unjha and Visnagar towns after widespread incident of arson in which attempts were also made to set on fire residence of Gujarat Minister of State of Home Rajni Patel.
"Curfew has been imposed in Mehsana city, Unjha and Visnagar town after incidents of violence in Mehsana district," Mehsana's district collector Lochan Sehra told PTI.
Sehra said the Mehsana district administration has also called in paramilitary forces to control the situation.
Surat Police have also imposed curfew in Kapodara and Althan areas of the city after angry mob took to the streets and resorted to violence and arson.
"Violence has been reported in many parts of city today. We have imposed curfew in Kapodara and Althan areas of city, as violence was more widespread in these two areas. We are trying our best to control the situation," Surat City Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said.
In Rajkot, angry mob reportedly ransacked two offices of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and local MP Mohan Kundariya, city police control room officials said, adding, these offices are located in Kalavad Road and Karanpara areas.
Apart from that, mob have either torched or completely ransacked almost all the BRTS bus stops in the city during late night violence, police said.
It is also learned that a large number of people have blocked highways connecting nearby towns and districts.
As tension mounted, chief minister Anandiben Patel tweeted: "My sincere appeal to the people of Gujarat to maintain peace and not to indulge in activities disrupting law and order across the state."
She also expressed regret over the crackdown by police on agitating members of Patel community at GMDC ground and announced an inquiry into the incidents.
In her public message, Patel stated that she expressed regret over the day's incidents and that her government will set up an inquiry to find out the truth behind them. She also said that necessary action will be taken against those found guilty in the inquiry.
Show of strength
Earlier in the day, at least half a million people congregated in Ahmedabad to demand reservation for their Patidar caste -- one of the state's most affluent -- in a rally at the GMDC ground without permission.
In a mega show of strength to push their demand for inclusion in OBC category for reservation, at least half a million members of the Patel community -- led by Hardik -- congregated in Ahmedabad in a rally at GMDC. Nearly 20,000 security personnel were deployed in Ahmedabad for the rally and roads within a two-kilometre radius of the venue were closed to traffic.
At the rally, Patel warned the BJP government in Gujarat that it will face consequences in 2017 assembly polls if the plea is not accepted.
The Patidars, or Patels, who make up around 12% of the population of Gujarat say they are struggling to compete with less privileged castes for jobs and university places.
"If you do not give our right (reservation), we will snatch it. Whoever will talk of interest of Patels will rule over Patels," Hardik told the gathering.
"In 1985, we had uprooted Congress from Gujarat, today there is BJP. 2017 (state election year) is coming...lotus will not bloom in the mud, it will never bloom. If you will talk about our interest then only we will nurture your lotus," he said, warning the state government. Lotus is the BJP party symbol.
Hardik, after addressing a gathering of Patel community members, stated that he along with his three aides will continue with his hunger strike until Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel comes to receive their memorandum of demands.
State authorities have already ruled out granting the Patidars' request, but their campaign has gathered pace in recent weeks.
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