Three cops injured during stone pelting at protest by cattle rearers over milk procurement prices in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha

At least 40 people were detained following the protest outside the Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union or Sabar Dairy near Himmatnagar town, even as the police lobbed 52 tear gas shells and lathi charged the protesters to disperse them, Superintendent of Police Vijay Patel said, adding “the situation is under control”.

He said many cattle rearers had gathered outside Sabar Dairy around 11 am to raise their demand for a hike in the milk procurement prices.

“When they were stopped near the main gate, a few protesters started hurling stones at the police, which left three personnel injured. Some police vehicles were also damaged,” Patel said.

“To control the situation and disperse the mob, we lobbed nearly 50 teargas shells. We have so far detained 40 protesters. The situation is under control. Adequate force has been deployed at the spot to maintain law and order,” Patel told PTI.

In a statement on Monday night, AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi said, “Today, the BJP government made the police lathi-charge and also released tear gas canisters on cattle breeders who went to Sabar Dairy to demand an account of their looted money. In which a cattle breeder named Ashokbhai Chaudhary from Zinzawa village of Idar taluka died. I pray to God for the peace of his soul.”

However, Sabarkantha SP Patel told The Indian Express, “The man had finished the protest and had gone home, which is about 1.5 hours away, in Idar. There, he felt a bit low and the family called an ambulance. He had chest pain so the doctor referred him to another hospital. He died on the way to the hospital. The death was confirmed at the government hospital in Idar.”

SP Patel said that nobody from the protesters had been admitted to any hospital. The SP said that three police staff had suffered injuries.

When asked about the action police had taken to disperse the protesters, SP Patel said, “A total of 52 tear gas shells were fired and lathi charge was carried out.”

Dhavalsinh Zala, the Independent MLA of the Bayad constituency, reached the spot to extend his support to the protesting cattle rearers.

Zala said cattle rearers are demanding a 20 to 25 per cent hike in the milk procurement price instead of the 9 to 10 per cent price rise declared by Sabar Dairy this year.

“Hundreds of cattle rearers, who are members of this dairy, gathered outside seeking a meaningful dialogue with the board of directors over milk procurement prices. They must get justice. I urge the board of directors to accept their demand. I condemn the police action against cattle rearers, who are the real owners of this dairy,” Zala told PTI.