Tension persisted today in violence-hit Gujarat which has been rocked by the Patel quota reservation stir even as curfew was lifted from many cities and some parts of Ahmedabad and no major incident reported since yesterday.
22-year-old commerce graduate Hardik Patel, who has galvanised the dominant Patel community in Gujarat on the reservation demand, today threatened to intensify the agitation and decided to rope in Gujjars for support.
Hardik in an interview to PTI also said his sole objective is the inclusion of Patel community in the OBC category and not the abolition of the quota system while firmly ruling out negotiations on the issue.
The situation in Gujarat, bearing the brunt of the agitation by Patel community seeking reservation under OBC category, is gradually returning to normal, officials claimed.
Barring Gadh village of Banaskantha and six police station areas of Ahmedabad city, curfew has been lifted in most parts of state today. As per the state control room, curfew has been lifted from Mehsana, Unjha, Visnagar and Kadi town of Mehsana district today.
Curfew was also lifted from Kapodra and Varachha area of Surat as well as Morbi, Rajkot and Jamnagar city of Saurashtra region.
Restrictions were withdrawn from Patan town as well as Palanpur town of Banaskantha. However, curfew was still in effect at Gadh village of Banaskantha, where three persons had died in police firing on August 26.
Apart from Gadh, six police station areas of Ahmedabad city are still kept under curfew are Ramol, Nikol, Bapunagar, Odhav, Naroda and Krishnanagar areas.
"Curfew has been lifted in Naranpura, Ghatlodia and Vadaj police stations areas of Ahmedabad today," police said.
Ahmedabad District Collector Rajkumar Beniwal said the Army continued flag march on roads in some city areas today.
"Army's flag march continued today in sensitive areas where violence was reported," Beniwal said.
