Gujarat Congress MLA Anant Patel calls off protest over alleged attack by BJP members
The Vansda MLA alleged a group of around 50 people, led by Navsari district panchayat president Bhikhubhai Ahir of the BJP, attacked him at Khergam town when he was on his way to meet the village sarpanch Saturday evening.
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The attack came just days ahead of the Sangharsh rally from October 10-20 organised by Patel covering the tribal areas from Unai in Navsari to Dholar village in Dabhoi taluka of Vadodara district. (Picture Source: Twitter)Gujarat Congress MLA Anant Patel Sunday morning called off the protest over an alleged attack on him by BJP members after the Navsari police assured him of capturing all the accused within three days.
The Vansda MLA alleged a group of around 50 people, led by Navsari district panchayat president Bhikhubhai Ahir of the BJP, attacked him at Khergam town in the district when he was on his way to meet the village sarpanch Saturday evening.
Patel told The Indian Express: “After getting assurance from the police, we called off our ongoing protest. BJP leader Bhikhubhai Ahir conspired the attack on us after coming to know about my visit to Khergam. He had spread information on different social media groups and invited people to gather at the spot and inform them to teach us a lesson.”
The attack came just days ahead of the Sangharsh rally from October 10-20 organised by Patel covering the tribal areas from Unai in Navsari to Dholar village in Dabhoi taluka of Vadodara district.
Sources said Patel and his driver were on their way to Khergam to attend a meeting called by sarpanch Jharna Patel and other leaders Saturday evening to create awareness about the Sangharsh rally when a group of youths, led by Ahir, allegedly intercepted his car near the Dashera Tekari area. They allegedly attacked the car and pulled Patel out of the vehicle before hitting him with sticks. They also allegedly threatened to kill him for “coming to the area which belongs to state tribal minister (Naresh Patel)”. The culprits later escaped from the spot.
The incident came to light when Patel uploaded images of his injury on social media and appealed to the Congress workers to come to Khergam to join the protest. Several supporters from different parts of south Gujarat reached Khergam demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.
The police from Navsari and Valsad districts reached Khergam and tried to pacify Patel, who refused to leave the spot until all the accused were nabbed. Sources said the angered mob set on fire the cement steel shop of Bhikhubhai Ahir and stopped firefighting vehicles.
Navsari police superintendent Rushikesh Upadhayay reached the spot and talked to Anant Patel to call off the protest late in the night.
Anant Patel complained to the Khergam police against more than 40 people, including Bhikhubhai Ahir, Rinku Ahir, Kirti Ahir, Ankit Ahir and Dinesh Ahir. The police registered a case under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Navsari local crime branch police inspector D S Korat said: “The situation is under control and Anant Patel called off the protest. We assured him that we would arrest the accused soon.”
Meanwhile, Congress leaders Amit Chawda, Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathva reached out to Anant Patel at his house in Vansda and assured him support in the matter.
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