Hardik Patel, the youth who is spearheading the campaign for reservation for the Patel community in Gujarat, has appealed to his supporters to maintain peace, even as he demanded action against policemen who allegedly targeted those protesting peacefully.
Asserting that Patidars were not responsible for the violence on Tuesday night, Patel hit out at the police for its action, saying, "We were treated like terrorists, and violence broke out only after police mercilessly beat up the protestors," said Patel in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN.
Pointing that the protests by the Patidars have been non-violent, Patel alleged a "political conspiracy against a peaceful movement".
"I already told you we did want a violent protest but the way the police hit the youth at the ground, all of this was a result of that, he added.
"We never asked anyone to indulge in violence but the police hit the people gathered like terrorists and they hit our women in the night. I have never seen such police brutality," said Patel.
He demanded that all policemen on duty at the protest venue should be suspended, accusing the government of "trying to stifle freedom to protest".
This came even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former chief minister of Gujarat, made an appeal for peace in the state.
"I request everyone to maintain law and order in the state. Violence should be avoided at any cost as it benefits no one," said the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, fearing a backlash of the agitation by Patels seeking reservation, the Gujarat government has asked Telecom operators to shut down internet services temporarily throughout the state. This directive comes even as a state-wide shutdown is being observed in Gujarat on Wednesday.
Curfew has been imposed in several parts of Gujarat after the Patidar mega-rally.
The leader of the Patel community, who on Tuesday warned the BJP government in Gujarat that "lotus will not bloom" next time unless their demand for reservations was met, was later briefly detained and released by police as violence erupted across the city.
A large contingent of police stormed the GMDC ground to disperse the crowd supporting Patel and three others who sat on a hunger strike after the massive rally, demanding that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel herself should come there and accept their memorandum.
Police took away Patel and his supporters after lathi-charging his over 2,000 supporters. Mediapersons were also injured in the police action in which their equipment was damaged.
But the young leader's detention late in the evening led to an immediate backlash, as protesters gathered in large numbers at various cross-roads and attacked the police, pelted stones and set on fire public properties including buses at two places.
Protesters also tried to torch the house of Gujarat minister of state of home Rajni Patel in Mehsana, police said, adding that the fire did not cause much damage.
He was hastily released by the police seeing the mood of the community members.
He has emerged as the powerful face of a massive campaign of the affluent and influential Patels or Patedars who are demanding reservation in government jobs and colleges.
The Patels have for decades been loyal supporters of the BJP. Chief Minister Anandiben has said they cannot be added to the list of castes entitled to quotas because Gujarat has hit the cap of 50 per cent reservation ordered by the Supreme Court.
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