Surat: Social worker Piyush Dhanani who is known for his videos on social media platforms against wrong-side driving in parts of Surat was attacked today in the Kapodra area by several persons.

Piyush Dhanani who originally hails from the Amreli district of Saurashtra has single handed started a self-style crusade against wrong-side driving which is very prevalent in Varachha, Katargam, Kapodra, etc areas where people of Saurashtra origin live in large numbers.

Piyush reaches roads known for mass wrong-side driving to stop the vehicles coming from the wrong side and compel riders to turn in the right direction. Piyush is so maverick in his cause that he at times enters into arguments with riders who refuse to turn their vehicles from the wrong side to the right side.

In his latest Facebook video, Piyush can be seen sleeping on the road to stop a private passenger bus that was coming on the wrong side. Piyush often calls the police control room (PCR) van if some vehicle rider on the wrong side doesn’t budge to his request.

Piyush posts the videos of his campaign on social media which largely attract supportive comments but a few people also question his tactics. Scores of people have questioned Piyush’s language. Some have also pointed out that Piyush only works against wrong-side driving but never wears a helmet and never asks people to wear a helmet. Some people on social media allege that Piyush at times uses offending language against riders. Some question why Piyush only does activism against wrong-side vehicles and traffic-related issues only, why he doesn’t go against illegal liquor dens.  Barring such few critical comments, Piyush Dhanani by and large receives all good and supportive comments. Many people opine on social media that what Piyush is doing on roads should be done by Policemen who are paid to enforce traffic rules.

On Tuesday morning, Piyush stopped a two-wheeler rider who was going in the wrong side direction. As the rider refused, Piyush took the key of the vehicle. Several people gathered around and started beating up Piyush and asked him to give back the key to the rider. When Piyush gave the key back to the rider, the rider continued to drive on the wrong side. The issue reached Kapodra police station.

Dhanani has registered a police complaint at Kapodra police station under IPC sections 323, 504, 506(2) and 114 against unidentified persons.

Later the Kapodra police apprehended four individuals identified as Ajay Lal (30), Rajkishore Gupta (33), Karan Gupta (22), and Gautam Lalla Saroj (30), all engaged in selling fruits in the Mota Varachha area. These nabbed individuals are migrants living in the city.

Yogi Chowk, Sarthana area based Dhanani(36) has in his complaint stated that at around 10 am today when he was standing to stop wrong-side vehicles coming from Mota Varachha side under a new over-bridge near Chikuwadi, he spotted a Varachha based fruit seller who was riding a two-wheeler on the wrong side.

Dhanani his complaint further stated that he stopped that person and explained to him that he would not ride on the wrong side. Three to four persons at that time rushed to him and started beating him up while speaking abusive words. They threatened him and later escaped the location when many people gathered there.

Dhanani said he dialed 100 number and called the police there. The police van took him to the police station.

Dhanani has stated that there were three to four persons who pulled his hair, spoke abusive words, and beat him up.

Dhanani admired the support of police and the immediate action by cops in arresting the accused individual who had attacked him.

Piyush Dhanani’s main activism remains against wrong-side driving, but he also makes videos against other social evils. In one video he criticizes locals for feeding fried ganthiya to birds. Another video exposes how fruit sellers occupy a major portion of the road at the cost of traffic movement to sell fruits outside of their roadside stalls. In one more video, he speaks about the danger of Nilgai on the highways of Saurashtra. DeshGujarat