Bhavnagar: Around 50 people including Congress candidate in the last assembly election on Mahuha seat, Vijay Baraiya were nabbed in connection with the violent protest against the mining of a private cement company in Talli Bambhor village under Dakha police station of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat today.

SP Bhavnagar P L Mal said that several people including at least 4 policemen were also injured during the protest. Police had to lob 35 tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to control the mob.

‘Police was deployed at the site of the mining of Ultra Tech Cement company as part of paid bandobast since yesterday. Today locals and farmers started opposing it and when police tried to control them they indulged in heavy stone pelting. A PSI of the SOG D D Parmar and a constable with Bagdana police station were seriously injured while two other constables sustained injuries. Police nabbed 35 protestors from the spot and later when a mob was heading towards the police station to protest against the detentions, 15 more were caught. 5 to 7 of them were also injured,’ the SP said adding that Barraiya and an activist Bharat Bhil were also among those detained.

Mal said that despite the protests the mining work was on, however, the carriage/transportation has been hampered. He said that he has sought additional force including a company of SRP for deployment on the spot.

Notably, the locals were opposing the mining in this coastal area claiming that it would increase the salinity of the soil which would turn their fertile lands in to barren ones.

Meanwhile, CM Vijay Rupani has reportedly sought a detailed report about today’s incident.