)
Patel, who left city for Delhi on Thursday said that he was going to meet leaders from the Patidar as well as Gujjar community from states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and also seek financial assistance from all quarters. Patel had already attempted to reach out to similar communities in states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh earlier during his rally in Ahmedabad on August 25. He had claimed that while the Patel community sized around 18 million in Gujarat, the numbers across India were around 270 million Patels.
For the second straight day of monsoon session of Gujarat Assembly, opposition Congress party continued to aggressively protest against government's stand for Patidar agitation. The state assembly was adjourned four times during the day but things became worse after speaker suspended all the Congress MLAs for a day. Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela alleged that chief minister failed to control law and order in the state and demanded Anandiben Patel's resignation.
Life in Gujarat's cities returned to normalcy during the day with shops opening, with public transport resuming services while damaged rail tracks were being repaired even as trains continued to run late. While schools and colleges remain closed till Monday, banks, offices and government establishments resumed work even as citizens returned to routine life on Thursday after streets wore deserted look till Wednesday.
Nitin Patel, spokesperson of the Gujarat government said: "People of Gujarat are with us. It is all conspiracy of defame the government and opposition was also involved in the violence that happened in the state. We are closely watching the situation and have formed a committee to find out responsible police officials." He added that government will take action against those responsible, adding that "Patidar agitation has become political, opposition is playing politics over it."
In another development the Gujarat High Court on Thursday ordered the police commissioner to conduct a probe and submit a report within two weeks into allegations that policemen opened fire in air and damaged property during Patel community quota agitation. Taking strong note of CCTV footage showing policemen vandalising cars, the High Court ordered the probe.
With tension flaring up across the state due to protests by Patidar (Patels) community turning violent since late Tuesday, curfew had 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.
