Reverse Dandi march: PAAS Surat convener threatens statewide ‘Jail bharo andolan’ if workers arrested

The PAAS and other Patidar websites too were quiet on the Sunday plans, though Hardik Patel is expected to reach Surat Saturday night and speak with media.

After Navsari collector Remaya Mohan denied permission to the ‘reverse Dandi march’ by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, its Surat convener Alpesh Katheriya threatened that if even one person was arrested when carrying out the march defying the ban, the entire community members would start a statewide ‘Jail bharo andolan’.

In the event of mounting pressure, PAAS kept changing plans but did not disclose all of it. Katheriya said, “When we sought permission for the march earlier, we had mentioned the places for night halts during the march, but the government has pressurized the farm house owners, open plot owners and hall owners not to let them out to us so now we have decided that after marching for whole day our people will halt at secret places and continue the march again”.

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The PAAS and other Patidar websites too were quiet on the Sunday plans, though Hardik Patel is expected to reach Surat Saturday night and speak with media.

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Soon after the Patidar riot that followed the mega rally in Ahmedabad on August 25, pressure had started mounting on PAAS which had to change venues for its media briefings with several Patidar farm house owners denying them permission at the last minute.

The first FIR against PAAS convenor Hardik Patel was lodged by the manager of a private venue, in Sola police station of Ahmedabad accusing him and his associates of trespassing, when they tried holding a media briefing.

Last Saturday, after Navsari collector Mohan denied PAAS permission for the rally the following morning, the same fate met Hardik in Surat forcing him to hold a press conference on the street under a flyover Saturday night, to announce September 13 as the new date of the march.

At a press conference Saturday evening Katheriya and other PAAS members announced the formation of new sub-committees to induct parents of school and college going Patidar students as members.

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He said, “We are firm with our decision to take out rally from Dandi village in Navsari district at 6.38 am and if Government takes action and start arresting people and if police acts turn violent than Patidar Patel will start Jail bharo agitation on that moment in Navsari and other parts of the state”.

He added that the Jail bharo andolan will start from Navsari and spread to different parts of the state. “The Patidars will not take law in their hands and will never come in conflict with police, even if they lathicharge. Neither will we come in conflict with other communities”. said Katheriya.

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