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Former Gujarat CMs prevented from attending rally

Manas Dasgupta

They were demanding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations
Several private vehicles were also damaged in the process

AHMEDABAD: Two former Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Suresh Mehta and Shankarsinh Vaghela, and about 20 others, were arrested on Sunday morning to prevent them from attending a rally organised by the State government employees. They were demanding the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations for the Central government employees.

However, the Ministers and others, including some Congress MLAs, were released in the evening after the rally ended. Mr. Vaghela and Mr. Mehta, while describing the arrests as an attack on their democratic rights, said the undemocratic act of the police marked the “beginning of the end of the Narendra Modi government in the State.”

The police had earlier denied the employees the permission to hold a rally due to security concern in view of the day being the 17th demolition anniversary of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. At the last minute, it allowed the rally to be held at a different venue and with a dozen odd conditions.

The State Government Employees’ Coordination Committee, which organised the rally, was told that “no outsiders,” including “politicians,” would be allowed to attend the rally. Apart from security checks, the employees were allowed to enter only after their identity cards were checked.

As soon as Mr. Mehta and Mr. Vaghela entered Ahmedabad, the police arrested them. The two had recently formed an organisation called the “Prabuddha Nagrik Manch” that supported to the employees’ agitation for pay parity.Their arrests led to some skirmishes between the police and the supporters, including many Congress workers who lay on the road to prevent police vehicles from taking away the arrested Ministers.

Some workers of the National Students’ Union of India, the students’ wing of the Congress, stoned State buses. Several private vehicles were also damaged in the process.

Mr. Vaghela said that if leaders were not allowed to pay their respect to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and support the “just cause” of the government employees, “only God can save the State.”

An anonymous advertisement published in several vernacular dailies alleged that the government employees were becoming “tools in the hands of the political parties.”

Employees’ Coordination Committee president Vishnu Patel suspected this to be the handiwork of the State government to divide employees. “But we are united and no attempt by the government will split the employees.”

Mr. Patel said though they were not seeking support any leader extending support to their cause was welcome. He also said the agitation would be intensified in the coming days if the government failed to concede their demands.

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