Ahmedabad: 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 a Patidar mega-rally was held on Tuesday demanding reservations in education and jobs for the Patel community. 22 year-old Hardik Patel, convener of Patidaar Arakshan Andolan Samiti (PAAS) who is leading the protest, was briefly detained and taken into custody by the police after he launched a sudden hunger strike at the GMDC Ground late on Tuesday evening.
After being released, Patel appealed to his followers for peace and restraint, and also announced a state-wide shutdown on Wednesday.
Earlier, he had served a 48-hour ultimate to the state government to concede the PAAS demands following which he said agitation would be intensified.
As news of the police action on Patel spread, angry Patidars reacted violently in different parts of the state, attacking public and private properties, buses, vehicles, even as Chief Minister Anandiben Patel appealed for peace.
Tuesday's mammoth mega-rally had over 1.20 million Patidars. It capped a 55-day long agitation across the state with scores of mini-rallies in different towns and cities for the main demands of the Patel community.
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