Ahmedabad: 22-year-old Hardik Patel, who was briefly detained on Tuesday over his hunger strike to demand OBC reservation for the Patel community, called for a state-wide bandh on Wednesday to intensify the agitation.
He also urged his community members to maintain peace as several parts of Gujarat witnessed incidents of violence.
“I make an appeal to maintain peace and keep calm. I give a call for Gujarat bandh tomorrow.
“This decision has been taken by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti considering widespread violence in the state,” Hardik, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti which is spearheading the agitation, said on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, members of Patel community resorted to arson, stone-pelting and vandalism after brief detention of their 22-year-old leader Hardik Patel, following which curfew was imposed in three towns of North Gujarat and some areas of Surat.
Paramilitary forces like State Reserve Police Force, BSF and Rapid Action Force have been deployed in cities like Ahmedabad and Mehsana. However, no casualties have been reported in the state so far.
In Ahmedabad, city buses and police posts were set on fire, while stone-pelting was reported from various parts of Gujarat, state control room officials said.
Police had to resort to lathicharge and lob teargas shells to control the situation.
Curfew was imposed in Mehsana city, about 90 kms from here, and Unjha and Visnagar towns after widespread incident of arson in which attempts were also made to set on fire residence of Gujarat Minister of State of Home Rajni Patel.
“Curfew has been imposed in Mehsana city, Unjha and Visnagar town after incidents of violence in Mehsana district,” Mehsana’s district collector Lochan Sehra said.
Sehra said the Mehsana district administration has also called in paramilitary forces to control the situation.
The Patel community of Gujarat has been agitating for around a month to fulfil their demands of reservation under the Other Backward Class (OBC) status.