Internet ban lifted as Patels’ stir subsides

The ruling party in the state will have to suffer damage.

This is bound to create ripples in the BJP leadership.

Yesterday, a large number of Patel community members came out on the roads near Modhera crossroads of Mehsana town and clashed with police after Hardik’s arrest.

“Women of Patel community were protesting against Hardik’s detention”.

However, the city administration declined permission to OBC Ekta Manch to hold its rally.

The mobile internet ban was lifted on Sunday in Gandhinagar and Vadodara as the situation remained peaceful in Gujarat, a day after sporadic incidents of violence took place in some parts of the state following Patel quota leader Hardik Patel’s arrest for defying prohibitory orders. “I would have extended my support to him had he raised the issue of reservation to the poor people of the Patel community”, Thakor said. When Patel was detained after a similar rally last month, riots erupted across several cities in Gujarat, leaving at least five people dead. The Congress and the BJP, the two main political parties in the state, are seemingly clueless on how to deal with this fast-paced emergence of young leaders on Gujarat’s political horizon.

The focus of Patidar reservation stir has now shifted overseas.

However, the first round of discussions failed after which Chief Minister Anandiben Patel hit out at Hardik for taking the state towards class conflict and warned that law will take its own course if they resort to violence.

While Patel and some 20 others were detained at Mangad Chowk, another supporting group led by Nikhil Patel and others was detained in Hirabagh locality. The party’s “Vijay Vishwas” public meetings ahead of the local body polls were postponed apparently due to this reason.

The rally, which the police declared as “unauthorised”, was to press for caste-based reservations for the Patel community spearheaded by PAAS. “We are just fighting to get reservation for our community”, Hardik had told reporters on Friday.