AHMEDABAD: At a grand ceremony in Gujarat’s Vadodara’s Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Hall, where new development projects worth Rs 1,156 crore were launched, a dramatic protest erupted, drawing statewide attention.
As Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and top officials presided over the event, two grieving mothers, who lost their children in the Harni boat tragedy, stood up mid-program to demand justice.
In a shocking turn of events, police officers forcibly removed the two mothers from the venue in an apparent attempt to silence their protest. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel dismissed their appeal, accusing them of acting with a "pre-planned agenda."
The event saw the presence of the Chief Minister, MLAs, the Municipal Commissioner, the Collector, senior office-bearers, and a large gathering of party workers.
Taking the stage, Chief Minister Patel praised the momentum of progress under the Modi government, declaring, “Development has gained unprecedented speed in Vadodara. The poor have been given houses.”
However, the program took a dramatic turn when two women dressed in saffron sarees, Sarla Shinde and Sandhya Nizama, rose from the packed audience and interrupted Patel’s speech.
“No development has happened here!” the women shouted. “The houses built are lying vacant for 10 years. We have not been allotted homes, and we have not even received justice yet!” they protested, drawing immediate attention and momentarily halting the proceedings.
As tensions flared during the event, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attempted to defuse the situation, urging, “Please meet me peacefully after the program.”
However, Sandhya Nizama shot back, “First give me my explanation, sir!”
The exchange grew sharper as the Chief Minister responded, “You have come with a special agenda.”
Undeterred, Sarla Shinde countered, “No one is even allowing us to meet you, sir.” Trying to regain control of the situation, Patel insisted, “Please sit down now.”
But Sarla pressed further, saying, “We have been trying for one and a half years to meet you, sir!”
The Chief Minister, visibly irked, reiterated, “I will meet you. Come together. You have come with a special agenda. I will arrange for a meeting today.”
Despite the assurance, both women continued to protest, insisting, “No one is letting us meet.” As the back-and-forth escalated, security personnel forcibly intervened, making the two women sit down and restoring order to the event.
After the heated exchange, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel resumed his address, presenting the government's achievements to the crowd for barely three minutes.
As soon as his speech ended, Sarla Shinde and Sandhya Nizama stood up again, reigniting tensions inside the hall. Nearby police officers, including female personnel, quickly moved in, ordering the women to remain silent. Moments later, both Sarla and Sandhya were forcibly escorted out of the venue, bringing the disruption to an abrupt close.
According to sources, the Chief Minister met the protesting women after the program ended.
Kalpesh Nizama, husband of Sandhya Nizama and father of the deceased Vishwa Nizama, lashed out at the authorities, saying, “My wife has been detained. Are we criminals just because we lost our children?”
Slamming the government, he added, “They have come to inaugurate houses that have been vacant for 10 years. The Vishwamitri project, which was stalled for 30 years, drowned Vadodara and wasted crores. Now, when the project is finally done, we are being put under house arrest. Are we terrorists? Are we criminals?”
Calling out the police action, Nizama said, “Such disgraceful behaviour by the police is unacceptable.”
On the afternoon of January 18, 2024, tragedy struck at Vadodara’s Harni Lake when a boat carrying young students from New Sunrise School capsized during a school trip. In a matter of minutes, 12 children and two teachers drowned, leaving 14 dead in a disaster that sent shockwaves across Gujarat.