26, Aug 2015

Ahmedabad, August 26, 2015
Lotus will not bloom again, BJP warned
After a mammoth rally organised by Gujarat’s economically and politically powerful Patel community demanding reservation in government jobs and education, the police cracked down on the organisers, briefly detaining 22-year-old Hardik Patel, the spearhead of the agitation, while severely beating up his supporters and media persons.
In a late-night operation, the police swooped down on the agitators led by Mr. Patel who were sitting on an indefinite fast after the rally, which had already turned violent with several incidents of group clashes and stone-throwing across the city. The arrest sparked violence in the city, with Patel community members clashing with police and six buses being torched.
After widespread violence across the State, curfew was imposed in Mehsana city and the towns of Unjha and Visnagar in the district. During the day, the police resorted to baton-charge and tear-gas as clashes broke out between members of the Patel community and local residents in several parts of the city.