Patidar bandh call evokes mixed response in Saurashtra, remains peaceful

Rajkot: The bandh call given by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in wake of the violence in Mehsana during the ‘Jail Bharo Andolan' on Sunday evoked partial response in Saurahstra region, except for some Patidar dominated towns and villages that observed complete bandh.
Offices, schools, markets and business establishments in major cities of Saurashtra like Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Jamnagar remained open amid tight security.Patidar dominated towns like Morbi, Jamjodhpur, Dhoraji, Jetpur, Halvad, Botad and Amreli observed bandh on Monday. No incidents of violence were reported from any district of Saurashtra on Monday during the bandh.
In Rajkot, the situation remained normal amid tight police security where four companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) were deployed over and above 1,000 city police personnel. However, mobile internet services remained suspended in Rajkot and Morbi districts on Monday. On Monday, police lodged three FIRs in Rajkot and Morbi districts against mobs for obstructing traffic and damaging state transport buses.
In the first case, a mob of over 100 people came out on the road near Jetalsar village in Jetpur taluka of Rajkot on Sunday night and stopped Keshod-Naroda bus of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC). They threw burning tyres inside the bus and pelted stones at the bus. Bus driver Chandu Chauhana lodged a complaint against a mob and named 18 persons as accused. "We have detained two persons in this regard for questioning," said R M Kachiya, investigating officer, Jetpur police station.
In the second case, GSRTC bus driver Bakaji Thakore lodged a complaint against 20 people for blocking his bus from Maliya-Miyana to Halvad and pelting stones at the vehicle. "The mobs intercepted the bus near Rapar village in Maliya-Miyana and pelted stones and broke its glasses," said police official.
In third incident, a Patidar mob had blocked the road near Amaran village by throwing tyres on Morbi-Kutch highway.