Amid partial shutdown, Gujarat government reaches out to Patidar leaders

Says truce talks have not been suspended and positive outcome likely, but members must refrain from rumours and maintain peace

Even as the state-wide bandh announced by two community bodies Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Sardar Patel Group (SPG) on Monday saw partial observation, the Gujarat government is reaching out to the Patidar (Patel) community leaders for truce talks. PAAS, along with SPG, is spearheading the reservation stir for Patels in Gujarat since mid 2015.

"We will be meeting with the community leaders to arrive at a consensus. The truce talks have not been suspended. We are hopeful of a positive outcome. In the meantime, community members should stay away from rumours and maintain peace," Nitin Patel, spokesperson and minister of health, Government of Gujarat told Business Standard.

The bandh was announced after the Patidar community's rally in Mehsana, held as part of a resurgent agitation called 'jail bharo andolan' (fill the jails) in several cities, turned violent on Sunday afternoon after a police-mob clash, forcing the administration to impose curfew in the home district of Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel.

Read more from our special coverage on "HARDIK PATEL"

• Patidar communitys jail bharo andolan rally turns violent, leader injured

Considered as an epicenter of the Patidar (Patel community) reservation agitation, Mehsana saw mobile Internet and SMS services being suspended, along with other cities like Surat, Rajkot, Sabarkantha and parts of Ahmedabad.

By Monday morning, while curfew was lifted in Mehsana, mobile Internet and SMS services continued to remain suspended, with the same likely to be lifted after Tuesday midnight. 

In Ahmedabad, the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) bus services were suspended, while city bus services of AMTS were suspended in certain parts of the city. The bandh saw partial observance with several shops and private banks, along with schools and colleges choosing to remain open.

On Sunday, the community had planned rallies under the 'jail bharo andolan' (fill the jails) in various parts of the state, demanding the release of the 22-year-old Hardik Patel, the face of the Patel quota stir that has gained momentum since August last year. Patel is currently under arrest on charges of sedition by the Gujarat police.

Raising anti-establishment slogans against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the rally was headed towards the district police headquarters in Mehsana. Police was forced to resort to baton charge and tear gas shelling, after the mob began pelting stones at the police, resulting in a clash.

Following the incident, around 400 agitators were detained including Lalji Patel, leader of another Patidar agitating group, Sardar Patel Group (SPG). Lalji Patel, who suffered injuries during the clash, is admitted in hospital till Monday morning.

While no violence was reported after Sunday afternoon, earlier in the day, detention of some of the senior community leaders saw Patidar youths indulging in vandalism of public and government property such as state transport buses, barricades on ongoing metro rail project and police vehicles. However, police has been put on alert in other sensitive areas across the state.

Earlier Lalji Patel had alleged the BJP of following "double standards" on reservation, where on one side it accepted the demand for Jat reservation in Haryana, but rejected the same in Gujarat for Patidars.