Internet ban lifted in Gandhinagar, Vadodara

DGP, P C Thakur, had yesterday banned mobile internet services across Gujarat for indefinite period to stop possible rumours

Mobile Internet and SMS services were restored on Sunday in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, among others. A day after the same were suspended as precautionary measures following the arrest of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel. In a bid to curb spreading of rumours and to maintain law and order situation in the state, the  Gujarat government had on Saturday blocked the services.

The 22-year-old Patidar agitation leader was arrested on Saturday and an FIR lodged against him for violating prohibitory orders. As part of the ongoing agitation demanding OBC quota for the Patidars (Patels) community, Hardik had taken out an “Ekta Yatra”from Varachha area of Surat —  despite denial of permission for the march by the authorities.

Later on Saturday, Hardik Patel and 35 others were produced before a Surat magistrate who granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1000 each.

The detention, followed by arrest of the 22-year-old leader of the Patidar agitation, had led to stray incidents of clashes between police and community members in areas like Kamrej and Kapodara in Surat, and Rabari Colony, Bapunagar and Ramol in Ahmedabad.

However, the scale of the Saturday clashes was muted compared to the state-wide violence that had ensued following Hardik Patel’s massive rally in Ahmedabad on August 25.