BJP MLA sits on dharna, seeking release of Patels arrested by Police

Ahmedabad

BJP MLA and top Kadva Patel leader Narayan Patel today sat on one-day dharna in Unjha town of Mehsana district against alleged wrong arrests of local Patidar community members by police.

“I sat on a dharna for a day to press my demands for action to be taken against police personnel who beat up people of my community as well as release each and every Patel community member, who are in jail on wrong charges,” Patel, MLA from Unjha seat in Mehsana district, told PTI.

He sat on a dharna at Gandhi Chowk area in Unjha town along with around 1,000 members of his community.

He alleged that the police had beaten up people from his community and damaged their vehicles.

Patel also alleged that the people of his community were booked on wrong charges of attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code as well as on charges of attacking police in Unjha town during the quota agitation.

“The police did not book original offenders but booked local corporators who went to give their resignation as well as members of the peace committee,” Patel said.

The four-time MLA from Unjha said, “This (protest) is not against the government, but for justice to Patels.”

Replying to a query on whether he had put his demands before the Gujarat government, Patel said, “We will not ask anything. Patels do not need to demand anything from the government.”

Some Patel community members from Gujarat led by 22-year-old leader Hardik Patel have been agitating to get government job reservations under the Other Backward Caste category. During 25-26 August violence, 10 persons are killed across the state, and hundreds of crores of Rupees of loss to public and private property has been witnessed.

MLA Narayan Patel was however against such agitation. In initial days of agitation he had protested it. He was of opinion that Gujjar agitation for reservation quota witnessed killing of 72 community members, but nothing was achieved. Narayan Patel had apprehended that if Patels agitate for reservation, ultimately some youths will be killed, and nothing will be achieved. Narayan Patel led Umiya campus in Ahmedabad has recently lodged complaint against Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel for rioting and criminal trespassing.

However Narayan Patel is not in favor of what he understands wrong arrests and high handed actions against Patels in connection with 25-26 violence. Therefore he took part in dharna today for three hours.

The 25-26 August violence across the state was mainly between Patidar community members and police. Public properties and police buildings/vehicles/jawans were main target of violent Patidars. On the other hand there were large scale complains about police actions against Patidars.

Mehsana district was one of the worst-affected districts during the violence and curfew was clamped in the district for around four days. Unjha is part of this district.

Major cases filed in Unjha in connection with 25-26 violence include burning of Unjha police station building by pouring liquid causing damage worth Rs 70 lakh. In this case, local Patidar community members including Bhavlesh Patel, Ashwin Patel, Rajendra Patel, Vijay alias Jatin Patel, Sanjiv alias Kaliyo Patel and 2500 strong Patidar mob are shown as accused. In another case ST bus was burnt at Maktupur in Unjha causing Rs 40 lakh damage. 250-300 strong Patidar mob is booked in this case. In third major case in Unjha, 5,000 stong mob of Patidar including Mikka alias Ravan Patel is mentioned as accused. In this case, Aithor and highway chowky of police were attacked and damaged causing damages worth Rs 160 lakh. In one more case Sales Tax office was torched and Taluka panchayat office was ransacked with record destroyed.

With inputs from PTI