Hardik sits on dharna at meeting venue says CM must come to take memorandum, SPG head differs, CM refuses to succumb

Ahmedabad

In a dramatic turn of events, the Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel, the main face of the agitation, has started a sit in protest near the meeting venue at GMDC ground after leading the much hyped Kranti rally and handing over a memorandum to collector Rajkumar Beniwal.

He has demanded that the chief minister should personally come there to take their memorandum. However, the other faction of Patels, Sardar Patel Group, which had participated in the first round of talks with the 7 ministers committee formed by the government to resolve the issue, distanced itself from it saying the decision to call the chief minister was Hardik’s personal one.

Talking to reporters after coming back to the venue with the rally, Hardik said,’ he was not going to end his sit in until the chief minister comes herself. we would announce our future course of action later if she doesn’t turn up.’

Hardik’s close aide and PAAS core committee member Chirag Patel later told UNI that Hardik and three other people were sitting on the dharna.

Earlier in the day he had started dharna soon after the meeting when he was told that the rally should not be taken out as the collector was coming to the venue itself to take the memorandum. later, he took out the rally to the collector’s office and returned to sit on dharna again.

Earlier some incidence of violence were reported from different parts of the city during the rally following which police had to resort to tear gas shelling and baton charge at some places to control the situation.

A high level meeting to review the overall security scenario was also organized at the chief minister’s residence in Gandhinagar after the rally in which home secretary P K Taneja, DGP P C Thakur and IB head Pramod Kumar also participated. ‘The meeting also discussed the future course of action if the situation worsened,’ sources said adding chief minister Mrs. Anandiben Patel, who had earlier cancelled her Delhi trip, monitored the rally from her residence. Security in the capital has also been beefed up as a precautionary measure. Para military force (BSF) has been deployed in ministers residence area.

Earlier, in the first incidence of violence near Mansi circle some activists of the PAAS allegedly attacked some shops and other commercial establishments in a complex there. They forced them to closure in the wake of the bandh call given by their organization in the city today.

Such incidents were also reported in the area between VS hospital and Paldi , Naroda. and some other areas of the city where motorcycle borne activists of the organization forced various shops and other establishment to shut down.

Police resorted to lathi-charge at some places to control the unruly mob.

In another incident the mob went on rampage near Vadaj damaging some vehicles and shops following alleged stone pelting on them by members of another community. Police has to resort to at least 4 rounds of tear gas shelling to control the situation. On the other over 200 people of Patel community jammed the express highway near Vadodara to protest the police action causing in disruption of traffic on this important road connecting Vadodara to Ahmedabad..

The whole city was turned in to a security camp for the rally with deployment of over 18000 security personnel including 20 of SP rank alone. The PAAS demands inclusion of Patel or Patidar community in the OBC category for reservation benefits. The state government has ruled out such possibility citing constitutional and legal limitations. Taking a confrontationist approach the organisation today called for amendment in the constitution to meet their demand.

Update: Chief Minister Anandiben Patel will not go to the ground and not succumb to blackmail and threats of Hardik Patel.

– DeshGujarat