PAAS, BJP workers spar in Panchmahal

VADODARA: Canvassing by the BJP for the ensuing district and taluka panchayat polls in an area that has a strong Patidar presence lead to a face-off with members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) at Malav in Panchmahal district.
Angry PAAS supporters also burnt election material of the BJP.
Functionaries of the BJP party including Kalol MLA Anu Rathod and others had gone to Malav to mobilize people for a public meeting of BJP national vice president Parshottam Rupala.
The group held a meeting for Rupala's programme, but the word reached PAAS members in the area.
Pancmahal convener of PAAS, Nirav Patel, said that people were not willing to work for the BJP or allow its meetings in the area in wake of the police excesses committed on the members of the Patidar community during the quota stir.
"We cannot hear them or allow them to work in our areas," said Patel.
He said that there was confrontation with the BJP workers when they came to the area. "Such situations will emerge time and again whenever they (BJP) come for campaigning," Patel said. BJP Panchmahal district president Javahar Trivedi said that he was not aware of any such incident."I have not come across any such information," said Trivedi.