The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday criticized the Gujarat shutdown call given by the opposition Congress Party, saying the people of Gujarat have always rejected the Congress in the state.
"The Gujarat Congress's attitude has always been very negative. This is a matter related to the law and they don't have the patience to wait for the court to proceed. Today, when Gujarat is considered to the hub for investors, these people are carrying out a statewide bandh. Even the public has rejected the Congress in Gujarat, and they are not being a part of this. These people are just trying to disrupt peace in the region. The people of Gujarat won't accept this. The people of Gujarat will not allow them to fulfill their motives," BJP leader Purushottam Rupala said.
Earlier in the day, district level Congress leaders across Gujarat were arrested ahead of the shutdown called on Friday over suspended police officer D.G. Vanzara's controversial 10-page letter in which he has criticised Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his key aide Amit Shah.
They also targeted the Gujarat Government for the breakdown of law and order and the constitutional machinery in the state.
Around 600 Congress party workers across Gujarat were detained on Friday and the state government has asked all district administrations to take stringent measures against anyone resorting to violence during the bandh.
According to reports, Congress workers reportedly torched two public buses in Ahmedabad and more than a dozen incidents of stone pelting have been reported from across the state cities even as NSUI workers allegedly forced a few colleges to shut down in Ahmedabad and Rajkot.
Security has been tightened in Vadodara with two companies of SRP, one platoon of women SRP, one company of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and 100 female Home Guards have been called in.
Reports quoted State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia as saying: "We are determined to go ahead with our programme and have requested the people to participate voluntarily in the peaceful bandh."
Vanzara, is a key accused in alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and some similar cases, had said in his resignation letter that he was dismayed as Modi and his close aide Amit Shah did not protect Gujarat's policemen linked with the fake encounter cases while pursuing their political goals.
