 "Gujarat flares up under Patidar ire, Army steps in")
In a first since the 2002 communal riots, fresh instances of violence including arson and stone pelting continued to disrupt an already stranded life in major cities of the state. Five persons were killed in different areas due to clashes between the Patidar (Patel) community and police, which was triggered by detention of Hardik Patel, the convenor of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Tuesday night.
Hardik Patel, who had led a massive 'Maha Kranti' rally in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, vowed to intensify the agitation for OBC quota for Patel community on Wednesday even as a day-long state-wide bandh was called by the Patidars in Gujarat.
With tension flaring up across the state due to protests by Patidar (Patels) community turning violent since late Tuesday, curfew has been imposed in several parts of major cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Palanpur and Mehsana. Patel ministers in the BJP-led state government too bore brunt of the Patidars' ire with attempts being made to torch Gujarat minister of state for home Rajni Patel's house, even as angry mobs targeted several senior BJP leaders' offices and residences.
It needs to be mentioned here that apart from the chief minister and the state BJP president R C Faldu, 37 MLAs and six ministers belong to the Patidar community.
In her appeal on Wednesday to the citizens to maintain peace, Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel said: "I have instructed the police to ensure that innocent citizens are not harassed and private properties are not damaged in their efforts to maintain law and order. However, peace cannot be maintained by only from one side. I urge all community leaders and members to co-operate with the police and maintain peace."
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to the people of Gujarat to maintain peace and follow principles of democracy. In his address, Modi, who spoke in Gujarati said: "It is disturbing that on the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel people have resorted to violence since last evening. Violence has done no good to anyone, ever. I appeal to the people of Gujarat to maintain peace."
Anandiben Patel too urged citizens of the state to honour PM Modi's appeal for peace as well. "The army has been called in. Already 53 companies (of paramilitary forces) have been deployed. Bringing in forces from outside the state to Gujarat which has established such a successful model doesn't show us in good light. Hence, I humbly appeal everyone to maintain peace. If we work together, we can see results in just 2-3 hours," Anandiben Patel stated in her appeal.
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According to the DGP office, 133 companies of Central paramilitary forces including CRPF and BSF were deployed in the state at the troubled areas of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.
Senior state government officials also confirmed that police would be completely withdrawn as soon as the army is deployed. The government has also decided to form 'Shanti Samiti' (peace committee) to control violence in the state wherein local MLAs and various community leaders will be part of it. The committee will be going door-to-door to convince citizens to establish and maintain peace in Gujarat.
Mismanagement of the law and order situation in Gujarat by police, beginning with Tuesday's rally, has drawn flak from several quarters. While mediapersons too were injured in police lathicharge on Tuesday evening, Wednesday saw the police resorting to tear gas shelling and firing even as it continued to be instigated by arson and stone pelting by the Patidars.
In what was turning out to be a Patidar versus police and government clash, the Patels went on a rampage, indulging in arson and stone pelting even as RAF, BSF and SRP are being deployed in various parts of the state. About 5000 paramilitary troops were also deployed by the Centre to Gujarat even as the state government drew flak over its handling of the Patidar community's Tuesday rally and ensuing violence thereafter on Wednesday.
Curfew had been imposed in major areas of cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Mehsana and Rajkot, among others. According to police sources, curfew was imposed in areas such as Ramol, Nikol, Bapunagar, Ghatlodia, Odhav, Naroda, Naranpura, and Vadaj. Curfew was also imposed in parts of Surat city and Mehsana, in Unjha and Visnagar town of Mehsana district, 90 kms from Ahmedabad, Tuesday night.
Over 40 buses and several police vehicles were set ablaze by the crowd in various parts of the State, while several police stations, government offices, bus stations and traffic posts were also set on fire. The government decided to take about 6,500 buses off road, which disrupted public transport between cities. Protestors targeted buses, government vehicles and government properties even as groups of protestors attacked police personnel and vehicles in what seemed as an obvious retaliation to Tuesday night's police high-handedness. State highways were also blocked in several parts of Gujarat.
While trains in North Gujarat were running late, between Ahmedabad and Delhi such as Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express and Ashram Express were halted for a day.
As precautionary measures, mobile data and SMS services were suspended along with state transport services by Gujarat government.
Both Patidars and police have been blaming each other for instigating the violence. While the police alleged that motorcycle-bound and stick-wielding Patidar youths vandalising public and private property and forcing shops and offices to shut forced strict action.
Blaming the Gujarat government for the tense situation across the state, Hardik Patel warned that the government would be responsible for future outcome even as he demanded suspension of police personnel who had lathicharged supporters in the Patidar rally. Hardik Patel alleged that it was the "unwanted" police action that instigated violence thereon.
The new state assembly session at Gandhinagar which began on Wednesday was soon adjourned amidst opposition leaders of Gujarat Congress protesting against ruling BJP government. Gujarat Congress on Wednesday also demanded resignation of Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. "Law and order in the state has gone out of control and for that Bharatiya Janata Party is responsible. BJP high command should take resignation of Anandiben Patel," Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said.
A late Tuesday evening detention of Hardik Patel, the 22-year-old convenor of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) by the Ahmedabad police further flared up situation with the protests turning more violent in several parts of the city, forcing the police to release him later.