RAJKOT: Members of the Gujarat Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (GKSS), comprising of Congress affiliated farmers’ organisation, has alleged that farmers from different districts were being prevented from entering Rajkot for a rally on Friday. The GKSS was denied permission for a rally by the police on Thursday.
Several members of GKSS were detained, twice on Thursday, for holding dharna demanding permission to hold a rally at Racecourse.
Pal Ambaliya, chairman of Gujarat Kisan Congress said, “The farmer leaders from various districts have been put under illegal house arrest to prevent them from reaching Rajkot. They have also been threatened.”
Manoharsinh Jadeja, deputy commissioner of police Rajkot said, “We have already conveyed to GKSS that we are ready to issue permission for a rally but they have to follow the Covid-19 guidelines. We detained only those leaders who were on dharna.” Jadeja also denied any preventive detention of GKSS leaders as alleged by the farmers.
The leaders of GKSS held dharna at Racecourse Chowk on Thursday morning. A number of leaders including Ambaliya, Indranil Rajguru, Girdhar Vaghela, Abhishek Tala, Hemant Virda were detained and taken to Pradhyumannagar police station and later shifted to Aji Dam police station.
They were released in the evening. But the GKSS members again began protesting at Jilla Panchayat Chowk demanding permission for the rally. There they were detained again.
Congress leader, Vashram Sagathiya, said, “BJP government is trying its best to create hurdles in our rally. We had been taken to four police stations in one day. We asked police to issue us permission as they have allowed for the chief minister’s functions. But they have denied it.”