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BJP candidate's supporters held in Gujarat

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD Dec.13. A case of rioting has been registered against supporters of the BJP candidate for the Ghogha Assembly seat in Bhavnagar district, Purshottam Solanki, a Deputy Minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet.

Though Mr. Solanki himself was present during the scuffle with the villagers of Odarka and was also alleged to have opened fire from his revolver, no case has been filed against him and he was allowed to go while his 48 supporters were arrested.

The incident took place on Thursday night after the polling for the elections to the Gujarat Assembly was over. The people of Odarka had reportedly objected to some supporters of Mr. Solanki moving about the village and allegedly terrorising people to vote for the BJP. Three of his supporters were beaten up by the people and their car was damaged.

On being informed about this, Mr. Solanki along with his ``commandos'' and a large number of supporters came to the village despite objections by senior police officers. He had heated exchanges with the villagers after which Mr. Solanki and his commandos fired in the air to terrorise the people. Police personnel returned fire and later arrested his supporters. No one was injured in the firing.

Mr. Solanki, who was earlier indicted by the Srikrishna Commission for his active participation in the Mumbai riots in the early nineties, later demanded suspension of the Bhavnagar district Superintendent of Police and other senior police officers for alleged attack on his supporters. While the curfew imposed on Jambusar in south Gujarat yesterday evening after a poll-related clash was extended today, the people of Nandasan in Mehsana district in north Gujarat observed a self-imposed ``bandh'' in protest against the attack by some members of the minority community on a petrol pump and a few shops in the town.

The police said the attack followed a scuffle between two groups in which a few Muslim youths were beaten up. Others came to their aid and attacked a petrol pump and also set fire to a few shops. The attackers were also alleged to have looted some Rs. 50,000 from the petrol pump.

The disturbance in Nandasan had its impact on the nearby Kadi town where the rival groups indulged in heavy stoning. Unconfirmed reports said at least two persons sustained stab injuries. Group clashes also led to police firing in Visol in Unjha constituency, also in Mehsana district, where a clash between the supporters of two parties turned into a communal clash. In Taleti village in Kadi, Rabaris and Patels clashed with each other. Two persons were injured in the incident.

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