The Patel community in Gujarat, demanding reservation under the OBC quota, is protesting in an ambitious mega rally in Ahmedabad.
The convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, Hardik Patel, who is leading the agitation, has called this the Maha-Kranti Rally.
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has expressed inability to include the community in the OBC category and requested the leaders to end the agitation and come forward for negotiations, but the Patels are unrelenting.
The Patel leaders’ have called for a bandh, the police has declared some of the main roads as no-go areas and requested people to not leave their house unless there is an emergency.
More than 17,000 police personnel – including 20 superintendents of police, 62 deputy SPs, 244 inspectors, 504 sub-inspectors, 13,000 constables and head-constables and 817 policewomen – have been deployed for foolproof security.
Thousands of Patel community members have arrived in Ahmedabad from many parts of Gujarat.
(With inputs from PTI)
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