Gujarat continues to simmer, Dalit protests flare up

While police detained and booked hundreds of protesters for arson and rioting, in-charge DGP P P Pandey directed police commissioners and SPs to take strict action against those damaging public properties.

In a press conference late in the night, Pandey said 50 cases related to violence during protests were registered in Gujarat, while 24 companies of State Reserve Police have been deployed to control law and order.

major clash happened in Dholka town of Ahmedabad district where protesters pelted stones at a police team. In retaliation, police resorted to lathicharge and burst 11 rounds of tear gas shells — so far the most used by police to control mob. Following the incident, a large number of women thronged the road holding rolling pins and protesting the police action. According to Ahmedabad SP Nirlipt Rai, around 10,000 protesters gathered the SDM office to submit a memorandum against the Gir Somnath incident on July 11. After submitting the letter, a few of them started throwing stones at policemen, the SP said, adding an FIR was lodged against 500 people, of whom 47 have been arrested.

WATCH VIDEO: Dalit Protests Spread In Gujarat, Voices Rise In Parliament

Protest rallies were also taken out in Sanand and Mandal talukas by Dalit organisations. In Mehsana, a mob burnt at least three state transport buses while trying to block road traffic. In Surat, protesters under the banner of Dalit Sena gathered on Ring Road near Udhna Darwaja, garlanded a statue of B R Ambedkar and then rushed to Udhna Railway station where sat on the railway tracks and also hopped on to trains.

Railway police detained over 51 protesters, including Suresh Sonavne, president of Dalit Sena. Hundreds of Dalits and tribals in the Dangs gathered at a B R Ambedkar statute near District Collector’s office in the afternoon, shouting slogans in protest. A rally was also taken out in Limbdi town of Surendranagar district.

In Modasa of Arvalli district, shops remained shut against the forced closure and damages suffered during the bandh called by Dalits on Wednesday.

Similarly, hundred workers of BSP protested in Surat against Dayashankar Singh’s remarks. BSP leader Irfan Kapadia said, “We condemn the remarks made by UP BJP leader Dayashankar Singh. The BJP leader had hurt our feelings. We want strict legal actions against him so that message can be send to politicians of different political parties that such act cannot be forgiven.”

In Ahmedabad, 50 BSP workers were detained. Around 200 BSP members blocked a road near Katariya village on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway in Surendranagar district and also tore banners at a VHP office.