As Patel quota agitation turns violent, Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel urges people to 'maintain peace and harmony'

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Sunday appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony in the state.

She tweeted: "I urge my fellow citizens of Gujarat to maintain peace and harmony across state. Violence has never and will not be the solution of any matter."

"As we all know it, Gujarat government has formed committee of 7 Ministers which is making persistent efforts to resolve the issue amicably. My sincere appeal to everyone is to cooperate with the state government and help maintain peace of our beloved Gujarat," she wrote in another post.

I urge my fellow citizens of Gujarat to maintain peace & harmony across state. Violence has never & will not be the solution of any matter.

— Anandiben Patel (@anandibenpatel) April 17, 2016

As we all know it, Gujarat Government has formed committee of 7 Ministers which is making persistent efforts to resolve the issue amicably.

— Anandiben Patel (@anandibenpatel) April 17, 2016

My sincere appeal to everyone is to cooperate with the State Government & help maintain peace of our beloved Gujarat.

— Anandiben Patel (@anandibenpatel) April 17, 2016

Curfew was today clamped in Mehsana town in Gujarat and mobile internet service banned as a massive rally of the Patel community demanding reservation and immediate release of their jailed leaders turned violent with two buildings being set ablaze and some police vehicles damaged.

"We have imposed a curfew in Mehsana town till tomorrow morning. Mobile internet service has been suspended during this period. The violent mob set ablaze two government properties. A sub-divisional magistrate and a mamlatdar (revenue officer) were injured in the stone-pelting," said Lochan Sehra, Collector of Mehsana, 73 km from Ahmedabad.

A godown of Food Corporation of India and a district office were set on fire, police said, adding 15 persons have been detained in this connection. Five policemen and two officials sustained injuries in the incidents, police said while agitators claimed that 25 of their supporters were injured in police action. 

In Surat, police detained 435 Patel agitators who hit the streets after learning about incidents in Mehsana. Surat police commissioner Ashish Bhatia said the situation was under control. Mobile internet services were banned also in Surat and Rajkot as a precautionary measure, district authorities said.

In Mehsana, police used lathicharge and fired teargas shells on the agitators who allegedly engaged in stone- pelting. Patel protesters had gathered at Modhera crossroad as part of the `Jail Bharo' agitation announced by the Sardar Patel Group (SPG), one of the prominent groups seeking OBC quota for the Patel community. SPG chief Lalji Patel received head injury during the face-off with the police.

A blame game erupted with police claiming they resorted to lathicharge only after some started hurling stones at them while Patel alleged that agitators were targeted without any provocation.

"Our protest was peaceful as announced earlier. However, police suddenly hit me and some of our members when we were walking ahead of the procession. I was hit on head. You can see the blood on my face. We were beaten up without any provocation," said Patel, who along with some other agitators were detained by the police, as per PTI.

In-charge DGP of Gujarat PP Pandey claimed the situation deteriorated only after some people resorted to violence. "Police always work to establish peace. The gathering was peaceful initially. However, the situation deteriorated only after some persons resorted to violence and damaged property," Pandey said.

Meanwhile, SPG as well as Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) have given a call for `Gujarat Bandh' tomorrow.

(With PTI inputs)