1,000 women booked for Ahmedabad quota riots

AHMEDABAD: For the first time in the state, police booked nearly 1,000 women for throwing stones and obstructing traffic in two different incidents in the Ramol area here. Most of these women belong to the Patidar community. In the first incident, women rioters were booked for throwing stones at the OBC-dominated Rabari colony. In retaliation, nearly 200 residents of the Rabari colony had also thrown stones.
In the other incident that took place at Niranth crossroads, women protestors threw stones at police personnel. The cops, including women police, resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the rioting women.
“We have registered a case of rioting against 4,500 unidentified people, including 800 to 1,000 women,” said inspector Paresh Solanki of Ramol police station.
On Saturday, three cases of rioting were registered at Ramol and Krushnanagar police stations. These had taken place after PAAS convener Hardik Patel was arrested in Surat. Inspector C R Sangada of Krushnnagar police station said they had also booked women for vandalizing the house of local BJP leader, Shivam Patel, at Shyampark Society late on Saturday night.
Senior police officials said the strategy of Patidar agitators had changed after August 25 when violence first erupted in the city after PAAS leader Hardik Patel was detained at GMDC ground. Now, Patidar agitators put women in the front to lead the protests.
In a related incident, Navrangpura police registered complaints against unidentified youths of a hostel for attempting to paste, without permission, posters supporting the Patidar stir.