AHMEDABAD: BJP MLA Narayan Patel today sat on one-day dharna in Unjha town of Mehsana district against alleged police atrocities on members of the Patel community during the recent quota agitation.
"I sat on a dharna for a day to press my demands for action to be taken against police personnel who beat up people of my community as well as release each and every Patel community member, who are in jail on wrong charges," Patel, MLA from Unjha seat in Mehsana district, told PTI. He sat on a dharna at Gandhi Chowk area in Unjha town along with around 1,000 members of his community.
He alleged that the police had beaten up people from his community and damaged their vehicles. Patel also alleged that the people of his community were booked on wrong charges of attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code as well as on charges of attacking police in Unjha town during the quota agitation. "The police did not book original offenders but booked local corporators who went to give their resignation as well as members of the peace committee," Patel said.
When asked on why he is protesting against the BJP government, the four-time MLA from Unjha said, "This (protest) is not against the government, but for justice to Patels." Replying to a query on whether he had put his demands before the Gujarat government, Patel said, "We will not ask anything. Patels do not need to demand anything from the government."
Some Patel community members from Gujarat led by 22-year-old leader Hardik Patel has been agitating to get government job reservations under the Other Backward Caste category. Hardik has been hogging the national limelight after his aggressive speech on August 25 mega-rally of Patels at GMDC ground here. His detention had set off massive violence claiming ten lives and imposition of curfew in many parts of Gujarat.
Mehsana was one of the worst-affected districts during the violence and curfew was clamped in the district for around four days.