Congress leader Hardik Patel was on Monday detained by police soon after he drove into Surat to hold a protest at the site of the devastating fire on Friday (May 24) that claimed lives of 22 students.
Patel was detained after he threatened to undertake a hunger strike at the site of the fire in the city’s Sarthana area if the Gujarat government did not take action against the Surat mayor and other fire department officials over the tragedy that occurred in the Takshashila Arcade building.
The Congress had sought police permission to hold the protest but it was denied. Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma told reporters that despite denial of permission he was on his way to the fire site.
Sharma added, “The permission could not be given, also because he was attacked by a member of his rival group when he visited the site yesterday (Sunday) and it was a question of his protection. And then, we cannot allow him to visit the area everyday.”
However, Patel claimed that earlier permission was granted to him for the hunger strike but later it was cancelled.
बारह घंटे पहले सूरत प्रशासन से अनशन के लिए मंज़ूरी माँगी हैं लेकिन हमारी मंज़ूरी केन्सल कर दी हैं।सरकार ने आग की घटना में दोषी व्यक्तिओं पर अभी तक कोई कार्यवाही नहीं की, मुझे लगता है की सरकार आग की घटना में शामिल व्यक्ति को बचाने का प्रयास कर रही हैं।मासूम के हत्यारे बच जाएँगे 😢 pic.twitter.com/1vJiROpqrO
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) May 27, 2019
Subsequently, Patel was released.
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सूरत आग कांड में स्वर्गीय हुए बच्चों के परिवार को न्याय दिलाने के लिए अनशन करने जा रहा था लेकिन पुलिस ने पिछले सात घंटे से मुझे हिरासत में लिया हैं, अभी थोड़ी देर में मुझे सूरत से चालीस किलोमीटर दूर रिहा करेंगे।छोटे छोटे बच्चों के साथ भी भाजपा का प्रशासन खिलवाड़ कर रहा हैं।😢 pic.twitter.com/EYeeLHJluZ
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) May 27, 2019
However, Dharmik Malaviya, a member of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), said Mr Patel was detained from Kamrej highway when he was on way to the house of quota agitation leader Alpesh Kathiriya, who is currently in jail in a sedition case.
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