Gandhinagar

Without naming Congress directly, the Gujarat government today alleged that ‘concrete evidences’ has shown that the opposition was behind the recent violence in the state and was willing to spread it to even wider and much graver proportion with an intention that the state would have reeled under curfew for a very long period causing instability and maligning the Bhartiya Janata Party regime.

Addressing a press conference here the government spokesperson and health minister Nitin Patel, who heads the seven ministers committee formed to talk with the reservation demanding outfits of various communities including Patels or Patidars, said, ‘Many officer bearers of the opposition party have been arrested in connection with the recent violence. We can say with certainty that the party was behind the violence and had plans to make it graver and wider so that Gujarat would have reeled under longer periods of curfew and unrest. They wanted to destabilize the state and bring bad name to the BJP government. But the peace loving people of Gujarat have foiled this design. The Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and several religious leaders appealed for peace and the people have responded. However it seems that the reservation movement has taken a political shape now.’

Later talking to UNI Mr. Patel claimed that there were 15 to 20 local level office bearers of the opposition party (did not name congress directly) have been nabbed by the police along with other rioters in connection with the recent violence. ‘There name would also be made public,’ he said.

Earlier during the press conference reacting to the recent ultimatum of Patel Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel to stop the supply of vegetables and milk, the minister said, ‘ these were essential commodities for the people and the prime source income of the village farmers. The government will ensure that the supply goes uninterrupted.’

To another query he said that the police has been instructed to show patience while dealing with public. It has been clearly instructed about that. He also thanked the people of the state for bringing the state back to normalcy. ‘There has been no untoward incident since last night. I thank the people for co-operating,’ he said.

The Congress on the other hand had created uproar in the assembly today over the violence that has left nine people including a policeman dead and over 200 vehicles burnt. The proceedings of the house was adjourned twice due to this and some of the congress members were also suspended by the speaker.

Hardik, whose brief arrest on after the PAAS rally on August 25 triggered the violence, had earlier said that if a compensation of Rs. 35 lakh each was not given to the family members of the eight common people who died during the violence by the government withing 36 hours then he would appeal to the farmers of his community to stop supply of vegetable and milk to the cities.