Violence marks YC rally

GANDHINAGAR, April 15: Violence broke out in Gandhinagar on Thursday evening when police went berserk following alleged provocation while...

GANDHINAGAR, April 15: Violence broke out in Gandhinagar on Thursday evening when police went berserk following alleged provocation while tackling a rally taken out by the Gujarat Pradesh Youth Congress in protest against sacking of Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat.

In the melee that followed, a GSRTC bus was torched, a number of public and private vehicles, including Press vans, were smashed badly leading to a general chaos. The YC had alleged that the police resorted to heavy lathi charge and burst at least 30 tear-gas shells to disperse crowds near GH-4 circle.

A number of YC workers were beaten up, while reporters and photographers who went to cover the rally had narrow escapes. Incidentally when the YC rally was progressing after holding a meeting near Pathikashram, a parallel rally from GH-5 circle by Gandhinagar residents in protest against police failure in tracking down the kidnapped girl Ruchi, came face to face and converged at GH-4 circle from where the prohibited area begins and barricades were placed.

According to local residents, the city residents8217; rally got restive and pelted stones at the police. The police and Home Guards in retaliation cracked down on both the processions and soon the venue turned into a battle ground. YC leader Himmatsinh Patel later alleged that the police did not spare even Press vans and smashed their glasses, sending the scribes and photographers running for cover.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel later pleaded ignorance about damage to private vehicles and beating up of scribes. However, he said the trouble was initiated by the YC workers who had come there to create trouble. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president C D Patel has vehemently denied this saying that quot;none of YC men was there when the GSRTC bus was put on fire..in fact the police were pelted stonesquot;. He said the State government wanted to crush all such popular protests by any means.

CLP leader Amarsinh Chaudhary alleged that RSS and Bajrang Dal recruits in Home Guards and police had shown their true face today. He said they did not even spare driver of former minister Kiritbhai Patel and beat him up badly. Besides, the driver of a GSRTC bus and a passenger had to be hospitalised after they were beaten up by police. NSUI Gujarat unit president Mihir Shah also condemned the police brutality.

Later the GPCC and YC leaders met Governor Sundar Singh Bhandari and submitted a memorandum seeking formation of a joint parliamentary committee for investigating large-scale corruption in defence deals. The memorandum also sought immediate resignation of Union Defence Minister George Fernandes over the issue of national security.