Quota row: Gujarat near normal

Ahmedabad, August 28

Tension eased across Gujarat as no incident of violence, sparked by Patel community’s quota agitation, was reported Thursday night. Curfew was today lifted in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Mehsana, Palanpur, Jamnagar, Visnagar and Unjha, which bore the brunt of violence in the wake of the agitation. The Army, paramilitary forces and Gujarat Police kept a close watch as people trooped out for work and shopping for Saturday’s Raksha Bandhan festival.

Director General of Police PC Thakur told media persons that the deployment of the Army and other security forces would continue for some more time.

Government offices and private establishments opened on Friday. Shops and commercial enterprises reported bustling business for Raksha Bandhan and Janmashthami festival next week. However, most schools and colleges across the state remained closed as a precaution. They will reopen on Monday, an official said.

Although public transport system was near normal, there were delays and overcrowding on account of the damage to hundreds of government and private buses. The Gujarat State Road Transport Corp, which was badly hit, is likely to normalise operations only by Sunday. There were 15 cancellations of some intra-state and inter-state train services as tracks were damaged by rioters. They are now being repaired.

Curfew was clamped in nine areas of the city — Nikol, Odhav, Ramol, Bapunagar, Ghatlodia, Naranpura, Naroda, Krishnanagar and Vadaj - on August 26 after widespread violence, incidents of arson and stone-pelting were reported there.

“Curfew has been lifted in Naranpura, Ghatlodia and Vadaj police stations areas of Ahmedabad today. The decision was taken after no incident of violence was reported in these areas,” a city control room police official said. The Army continued flag march in some sensitive areas.

“The situation in other areas of the city is normal and we are likely to lift curfew there also if tension eases,” he said.

Ahmedabad District Collector Rajkumar Beniwal said the Army continued flag march on roads in some city areas today. “The Army’s flag march continued today in sensitive areas where violence was reported,” Beniwal said. — Agencies