Hardik Patel calls off reverse Dandi march, to meet CM on Monday

Hardik Patel calls off reverse Dandi march, to meet CM on Monday

By NewsGram Staff-Writer

credit: www.livemint.com

Ahmedabad: In a recent development, agitation leader from Gujarat Hardik Patel has called off his reverse Dandi march and has agreed to meet Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Monday.

Late on Saturday, the decision came to fore after Gujarat's Finance Minister Saurabh Patel played mediator and persuaded the 22-year-old agitation leader to hold talks with the government on the issue of reservation benefits to the influential and affluent Patel community in the State. The community constitutes around 14 to 15 per cent population of Gujarat.

The reverse Dandi march was scheduled to start on Sunday morning from Dandi, a coastal village in South Gujarat. Fear of violence had prevailed regarding the same. State authorities had not granted permission while the Patel community leaders were determined to hold another strength show to press their demands.

The district administration of Navsari and Surat had deployed police and paramilitary forces to ensure law and order situation in the area. Mobile-based Internet services were banned for 24 hours from the midnight.

"Hardik Patel will meet the CM on Monday. The government has invited us to talk. We will decide our next course of action post talk," a source close to Hardik Patel said.

Last month, after a herculean rally managed by Patel community in Ahmedabad, violence had erupted in the state. In the incident, 10 persons including a policeman were killed while dozens of group clash incidents between the police and the Patel community were reported.

The state's property was badly hit as more than 300 public transport buses were torched by the rioters. Government property was vandalised and Internet services were banned for almost a week. This disrupted the mobile- based banking activities, online shopping and credit card transactions.

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