Quota stir: Hardik detained ahead of India-SA match in Rajkot

Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel was on Sunday detained by police while he was on his way to Khandheri Cricket Stadium in the city ahead of the India-South Africa One day international match.

Minutes before his detention, the 22-year-old leader, who had earlier threatened to stage protests at the ODI venue on their reservation demand, told reporters that he just wanted to watch the match like a common spectator.

Following his threat, the Rajkot administration had on Saturday night banned mobile Internet services in the district.

“Police detained Hardik Patel from Madhapar cross road area today when he was on his way to Khandheri Cricket Stadium in the city, where an ODI between India and South Africa is scheduled to be played,” Superintendent of Police of Jamnagar (Rural) Pradip Sejul said.

Hardik, the spearhead of Patel quota agitation and convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, and around four of his supporters were detained when he was going to the cricket stadium in the attire of a farmer, he said.

Rajkot (Rural) Superintendent of Police Gagandeep Gambhir said Hardik was taken to SRP headquarters in Ghanteswar area on the city’s outskirts.

“We have not come here to protest, but we just want to watch the match with our Patidar (Patel) brothers. Like many other spectators who have come here to cheer up Indian team. We have tickets for the match also,” Hardik said.

“I want to urge to the people to keep calm and not to do anything that will breach peace and law and order situation of Gujarat,” he said.

Sporadic protests took places at few places in Gujarat while one state transport bus was set on fire in Morbi district following the detention of Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel.

“Some unidentified persons set afire a stationed ST bus at Mahendranagar area on the outskirts of Morbi city today,” N S Malek, Inspector of B division police station in Morbi said, adding they were trying to trace the persons who are behind the incident.

The officer said nobody was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, two incidents of protests were reported in Bardoli and Surat.

In Surat, Alpesh Kathiria, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti in the city and also a close associate of Hardik, held a demonstration at Kamrej area along with his supporters and tried to block National Highway 8, following which he was detained.

“Around 17 people, including Kathiria, were detained by the police for around four hours as they tried to block NH-8 at Kamrej area,” Police Control Room officer of Surat (Rural) Sunil Sinh said.

An agitation was held for brief period in Bardoli town by some people but they soon called it off after police requested them not to resort to any kind of protest, said Bardoli town sub-inspector D R Vasava.      

Meanwhile, Hardik still continues to be in detention. 

Hardik, the convener of the Patidar Anamant Andolan Samiti, had earlier said that they will block the way of two teams and not allow them to reach the stadium and gherao the venue if he and his supporters were not allowed to go inside to protest.

He had also urged the Patel community members to remain present in large number during the Rajkot match to raise their reservation demand for which they have been agitating for couple of months.

As per the PAAS, they chose the cricket match as they want the “world to know how Patel community is being harassed in the so-called development model of Gujarat”.

In the wake of the threat and given the large scale violence the state witnessed recently over the quota stir, police have fortified the stadium, located on the outskirts of Rajkot city at Khandheri village, which will host the third cricket match under the Gandhi-Mandela freedom series. 

Image: Hardik Patel and his followers were detained as they tried to protest at the Rajkot stadium ahead of the third ODI match between India and South Africa. Photograph: PTI