Army out as 8 die in riot-hit Gujarat

Ahmedabad, August 26

Eight persons were killed and more than 100 injured as a statewide shutdown in Gujarat called by the Patidar Arakshan Andolan Samiti, seeking reservation for the Patel community, turned violent on Wednesday, officials said.

Edit: Gujarat’s irate Patels

Riot, arson, stone-pelting and widespread damage to public and private property forced the authorities to call in the Army and paramilitary forces. Curfew has been clamped in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Mehasana, Patan, Palanpur, Unjha, Visnagar and Jamnagar.

 Six people were killed in firing by police and para-military forces, while two died following clashes which started last night, police said. Four deaths were reported in Ahmedabad, three in Gadh village of Banaskantha district and one in Mehasana town.

At least 100 persons were injured in violence, mainly in group clashes and stone-pelting incidents, in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As many as 133 companies of the Army, Central Reserve Police Force, State RPF, Rapid Action Force, and Border Security Force besides the Gujarat Police were engaged in controlling violent mobs in various cities.

 At least 12 trains, including Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani Express, were cancelled and 19 trains were diverted inside Gujarat. The Army and paramilitary forces carried out flag marches in riot-hit localities in various cities, which observed a near-total shutdown even as Modi, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and top leaders of other political parties appealed for calm. At least 49 companies of the armed forces were stationed in Ahmedabad where nearly 1.2 million Patidars took out a rally on Tuesday.

Another 10 companies were stationed in diamond polishing hub Surat, which saw riots, arson and looting of shops and commercial establishments on Wednesday. Overnight curfew failed to deter the rioting mobs who were reacting to the brief detention of PAAS convener, Hardik Patel (22), the leader of the agitation. — PTI

PM takes stock, urges calm

• PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Cabinet ministers to take stock of the situation arising out of politically charged issues, including quota protests in Gujarat and OROP
• The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari
• The PM earlier appealed to “all brothers and sisters of Gujarat that they should not resort to violence. The only ‘mantra’ must be ‘shanti’ (peace)”