Seven PAAS workers detained at Umiya Rath procession

AHMEDABAD: Seven members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) were detained and cops resorted to lathicharge in Vastral area of the city during Goddess Umiya Rath procession which turned into political front not only between BJP and Patel outfit workers but also between locals and migrants.
Inspector KS Dave of Ramol police station said that they detained the PAAS members after they got into heated arguments with people who were in charge of the chariot of the goddess near Vastral.
The detained PAAS leaders, including PAAS women’s wing head- Geeta Patel along with local leaders Akshay Patel, Ashish Patel, Bipin Patel, Kuldip Patel, Kaushal Patel and Krunal Patel were released on Friday evening.
Jayesh Patel, PAAS convener of Ahmedabad, said that the event turned into a political one. “People from social and religious organizations should not provide political opportunity to the BJP. The Umiya Rath event organized by CK Patel-led Vishwa Umiya Foundation cannot be made a political event. Today, some BJP workers stopped PAAS members when they went with banners carrying pictures of Hardik Patel and deceased who were killed during quota stir. This did not go well with the BJP people who started fighting with us and the police also detained our members only,” said Jayesh Patel.
However, another PAAS leader from Vastral-- Ashish Patel, who was also detained by the police said that the chariot over which only Gujarati Patel community can make claims was hijacked by migrants from Uttar Pradesh. “This was Patel community’s event. A migrant resident of Vastral, who is a local goon here, was riding on the chariot so we opposed it and police resorted to lathi-charge and detained us,” said Ashish Patel.