Gandhinagar: After an unprecedented dance of destruction that left ten people dead ,the Patidar quota stir leaders in Gujarat now seek to advance their objective through Gandhian means. The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) now intends to pursue it’s objective through peaceful means.”We propose to undertake a ‘Dandi’ yatra and peaceful fast to press for our demand to include Patels in the OBC category,said a spokesperson of the Samiti. “Our stir from the very beginning right upto August 25 was completely peaceful. The violence was instigated by the police action,he said adding that it would announce the dates for the Dandi yatra which will be led by Hardik Patel,very soon.
PAAS also intends to organise protest fasts all over the state alongside the yatra and if the government does not give permission for holding the fast, the same will be held in residential societies which were the scene of police instigated violence,it was pointed out. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has demanded the resignation of the state chief minister pointing out that the recent violence has exposed the “Gujarat Model” of development. The opposition also sought a probe by a sitting High Court judge. It also criticised the move by the state government to ban mobile data and social media . The state government had clamped down on the social media imposing a ban on the internet on handheld devices since August 25 after it was found that it was being used to fan violence in the state.
The ban was lifted on Monday, except in Ahmedabad and Surat. The government ,however also issued a warning that anyone found to be sharing photographs or videos of violence or inciting violence would be booked for criminal act. In an another development,VHP International President Dr Pravin Togadia too criticised the “Development Model” as practiced in Gujarat.
Today, there are over 16.5 lakh educated unemployed and over 10% of people in biggest city of Ahmedabad live in slums. “If we look at statistics, 17.5 lakh enrolled in schools but 40% dropped out of schools after primary school.
Why? What kind of development and whose development has happened?” Dr Togadia said while speaking at a private function.