Prohibitory orders in northern Gujarat on Sunday

Prohibitory orders banning 'unlaw assembly' and other restrictions will be in place on Sunday in northern Gujarat to prevent any incident of violence in view of the Patel agitation for reservations in education and jobs, the police said.

The state government has issued orders banning assembly of four or more people and blocked use of cell phones and internet in northern Gujarat on Sunday, Mehsana District Superintendent of Police Chaitanya Mandlik said on Friday.

The state saw sporadic incidents of violence last week.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti has announced a women's rally in Mehsana city, which is the hub of the Patel community, despite the district administration having refused permission for it.

Mandlik said the prohibitory orders would be in place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Elaborate security arrangements were already being made on Friday.

The authorities in Mehsana have also denied permission for a women's conference that the Samiti has planned.

With no end in sight to the reservation issue, the Patels are trying to revive the agitation through a 'Patidar Ekta Yatra', which began in Saurashtra earlier this week.

At Umiya Mandir, a temple of the community in Jamnagar district, local convener of the Samiti Lalit Vasoya said the agitation had so far been conducted with Gandhian means, but take "the path of Shahid Bhagat Singh" if the government did not heed their demands.