Fresh violence in Ahmedabad as Hardik Patel calls Gujarat bandh
Hardik Patel called for a shutdown in Gujarat on Wednesday and appealed to the people on WhatsApp on Tuesday night to maintain peace and keep calm.
Reports said schools and colleges are closed in Ahmedabad.
The Centre has despatched about 5,000 paramilitary personnel to Gujarat to help maintain law and order while Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the state's Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on the situation on Wednesday morning.
Curfew was declared in nine police station areas of Ahmedabad after incidents of arson and stone-throwing, allegedly by enraged supporters of Hardik Patel.
Elsewhere in the state parts of Surat and Mehsana district have been curfew-bound.
Paramilitary forces have been deployed and the Union Home Ministry has said it is in constant touch with the state government.
Internet services on mobile phones have been suspended across the state to check the spread of rumours through Whatsapp and SMS.
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has appealed for calm. She also said that she has ordered an inquiry into police action at the venue of Hardik Patel's rally last night which triggered the violence across the state.
At about 9 pm on Tuesday, the police lathi-charged a large crowd still present at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, where Hardik Patel had led a mega-rally in support of the demand for reservation in government jobs and colleges for members of the Patel community..
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