Talking to the Indian Express, Kachhadiya said, “I had applied for police permission for the dharna program on Friday, but did not get it (Twitter@@DineshKachhadia)Surat Police on Saturday detained four Congress leaders at a protest against the state government in Varachha area of the city, wherein they had demanded an apology on behalf of diamond polishers. All four detainees, including three Congress councillors, were later released the same evening.
Varachha police inspector BN Sagar said, “We had detained Congress members for conducting a dharna program as they had not been given police permission. We took their statements and they were later released.”
Dinesh Kachhadiya, municipal councillor from the Congress who represents Varachha ward number five, had demanded an apology from the state government for its reply to the Gujarat HIgh Court in a writ petition. The state government had stated that the steep rise in coronavirus cases in Surat took place due to the diamond polishers in the city.
Kachhadiya, in a letter to Chief minister Vijay Rupani, had said that diamond factory owners and local authorities had failed to implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) under Covid-19 guidelines at diamond factories. He further questioned why diamond polishers are being held solely responsible for the spread of the virus.
Kachhadiya, along with Congress Municipal Councillor from ward number 16 Arunaben Dawra; Congress Councillor from ward number five Daxaben Bhuva; Youth Congress leader Ketan Vaniya and a few diamond polishers had gathered at MIni Bazaar in Mangadh Chowk of Varachha area on Saturday afternoon and sat on a dharna in protest against the state government. Subsequently, Varachha police had reached the spot and detained the four Congress leaders, while the diamond polishers had managed to leave.
Talking to the Indian Express, Kachhadiya said, “I had applied for police permission for the dharna program on Friday, but did not get it. Due to inability of local administrative officials, the spike in coronavirus cases has been witnessed… Why should all the responsibility be put on the shoulders of diamond polishers? We have decided that in the coming days, we will carry out such dharna programs outside the office of the Surat Diamond Association office and ask them why they are not coming out in support of diamond polishers.”
“We also have the support of thousands of diamond polishers, but we asked them to not take part due to the present pandemic situation. Diamond polishers who reside in my ward area had told me that their sentiments were hurt by the state government’s move.”