Cops detains 3 Cong candidates from Surat

CONGRESS CANDIDATES DHIRU GAJJERA, DINESH KACHADIA AND BHAVESH RABARI WERE DETAINED FOR LEADING A GHERAO OF A POLICE STATION IN VARACHHA

AHMEDABAD: Three Congress candidates from Surat and at least 25 members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti(paas) were detained by the Gujarat police late on Thursday night after they protested at the opening of the BJP election offices.

Industrialist Dhiru Gajjera, Dinesh Kachadia and Bhavesh Rabari, Congress candidates from Varachha Road, Surat North and Karanj respectively were detained by Varachha police after they led a group to gherao the Varachha police station. They had reached the station to protest after PAAS workers, who allegedly illegally took out a bike rally and disturbed the opening of the BJP’S offices were stopped by the police.

“The PAAS members took out rally without permission and disturbed the event of a political party. After police stopped them, a huge group led by the Congress leaders reached Varachha police and gheraoed it. The police tried to reason with them but they did not agree following which many were detained’’, said Surat SP Satish Verma.

“The police, at the behest of the BJP, has been trying to disturb peace in Gujarat’’, alleged PAAS co-convener Dinesh Bambhania.

On Sunday, PAAS members ransacked the Congress office after the party released its first list of candidates. On Monday, the Congress had changed four candidates from the list including those of Varachha road.