Congress workers demanding farm loan waiver block roads at various places in Gujarat briefly

Ahmedabad/Rajkot/Vadodara/Surat: Hundreds of Congress workers and its leaders including MLAs were detained across Gujarat in separate groups (ranging from 10 to 50 in number) today during the high-way blockade protest by State Congress demanding immediate loan waiver of farmers and other issues pertaining to them. However the farmers for whom the agitation was held stayed away from participation. The agitation programme therefore remained limited only to Congress cadres.

Traffic on various highways was disrupted and jams were seen at several places as burning tyres, stones etc were put on them by Congress workers in the morning time.

However at majority of places the jam occurred at the most for half an hour as police was prompt to arrive and detain the Congress workers.

Police arrested several Congress workers/leaders as such a jam in Mahesana obstructed the traffic on the highway there for over two hours resulting in a long queue of vehicles.

State Congress statement claims party’s 4,000 workers were held across the state today in connection with road blockade agitation.

In Ahmedabad such a protest was held near Narol while Congress MLA from Sanand Karamshi Patel was arrested with around 50 party workers during blockade of Sanand highway near Nal Sarovar Teen Rasta in the Industrial town.

Such protests were also seen in Banskantha, Aravalli, Sabarkantha, Patan, Surendranagar, Morbi, Kutch, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Gir-Somnath, Porabandar Bhavnagar, Kheda, Tapi, Valsad, Surat districts including others.

At some places vegetables and other agricultural produces were also thrown on the roads as mark of protest.

Meanwhile, ruling BJP termed the blockade a flop show. Party spokesperson Bharat Pandya said that the event had no public support.

‘The Congress party remembers farmers only when elections are around the corner. Vijay Rupani government in Gujarat and Narendra Modi government at center were both farmer’s government. During the BJP’s rule in Gujarat the agri produce has seen a whopping jump of 1.26 lakh crore from mere 9 thousand crores,’ he said.