Mehsana

A rally by Patel community demanding reservation today turned violent in Gujarat’s Visnagar town here following which police used teargas shells to control the mob, even as the community claimed that people from other groups were behind the violence.

A journalist covering the rally suffered a minor injury during the violence, Mehsana police control room said.

At least 25,000 men and women from the community took out a rally, organised under the banner of ‘Patidar Anamat Samiti’, in Visnagar town demanding that Patels (Patidars) be included in the OBC category.

When the rally reached near the office of local BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel, some community members tried to approach the leader and hand over a memorandum to him, police said.

“However, when they did not find Patel in his office, some of the members got angry and started vandalising his office and nearby shops,” an official at Mehsana control room said.

“Some of the people in the rally turned violent and went on damaging property. We also received reports of stone-pelting as well as setting a car on fire. Thus, police was forced to lob at least ten teargas shells to disperse the crowd,” the official said.

“To control the mob, we fired around ten teargas shells. The situation is now under control. No one is seriously injured in the violence. We have deployed extra police force in the town. We will take all necessary action against those who were responsible,” Mehsana Superintendent of Police J R Mothalia.

Meanwhile, one of the rally organisers Mahesh Patel claimed that people from some other organisation were behind the violence.

“Some elements of Sardar Patel group, who came from Kheda district to take part in the rally, resorted to violence, otherwise the rally was going on peacefully. No one from Patel community was involved in damaging property, it was done by outsiders,” Patel said.

PTI