Ahmedabad, Aug. 26: The army was called in today to stem the violence that began with the brief detention of quota crusader Hardik Patel last evening and spilled into the night, leading to the death of seven persons and clamping of curfew in several parts of Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for peace in a televised address but Patel community members agitating for OBC status continued vandalising government and private property, burning vehicles, targeting police posts and pelting stones through the day, police said.
In clashes that began last night, four persons were killed in police firing, sources said. Three of these deaths were reported from Ahmedabad itself, where the police were apparently forced to open fire to stop a mob from setting a goods train on fire in Chandlodia area.
A fourth death was reported from Mehsana where police fired to control a mob protesting the allegedly unprovoked lathicharge on Hardik Patel's supporters at yesterday's rally in Ahmedabad. Three persons were reported to have died in Gadh village of Banaskantha district, one of head injuries.
Curfew was clamped in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Mehsana, Patan, Palanpur, Unjha, Visnagar and Jamnagar after alleged members of the Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti kept up their protests during the day.
In north Gujarat, the homes of health minister Nitin Patel and the minister of state for home, Rajni Patel, were targeted. The BJP office in Aravalli district in north Gujarat was vandalised.
Ahmedabad district collector Rajkumar Beniwal told PTI that five companies of the army were called in to Ahmedabad to maintain law and order and flag marches staged in five areas of the city. About 5,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in trouble-prone spots across Gujarat.
At least 20 trains, including the Ahmedabad-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and Ashram Express were cancelled. Over 200 vehicles, including 98 buses, and 14 police posts were burnt in the state since last evening. Schools, colleges, business establishments, banks and markets remained closed.
Joint police commissioner Vikas Sahay said 85 incidents of violence were reported from Ahmedabad city alone after which Ramol, Bapunagar, Nikol, Vadaj, Krishnanagar, Naroda, Ghatlodia (the chief minister's Assembly constituency) and Naranpura (BJP president Amit Shah's constituency) were placed under curfew.
"I have asked for a report on police lathicharge on the crowds at the ground where Hardik was sitting on fast after he addressed the rally," chief minister Anandiben Patel said, appealing to the people to remain calm.
"But we should think why the need for calling the army has arisen. In a model state like Gujarat, which is also a peace-loving state, we have to bring in such arrangements from outside... what impression does it make... Therefore, I request you with folded hands to keep calm and maintain peace," she said.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Anandiben and assured her of central help in the face of a warning by Hardik that the agitation would intensify in the coming days. The 22-year-old quota protest spearhead has blamed the police for the violence and called a bandh tomorrow.
Junking suggestions that the protesters started the violence, he accused the police of trying to "disrupt" the Patel "movement" at the behest of the political establishment.
