Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel is once again on the run as police are looking for him after he convened a protest meeting in North Gujarat without obtaining mandatory permission.
On Tuesday morning Hardik addressed a meeting in newly carved Aravali district in which nearly 2,000 people were assembled. The public meeting was convened without taking necessary permission, said police, adding that with a view to avoid panic situation, they decided to arrest him after completion of speech, however, somehow he managed to hoodwink the police and went into hiding.
According to a policeman deployed at the rally despite the presence of heavy police force, PAAS convener and his supporters could escape in a car. Subsequently, police did roadblocks to nab him, but on his way, Hardik disappeared in the adjoining fields and left his car. Some policemen saw him running and chased after him but they couldn’t get him.
Gandhinagar range IGP Hasmukh Patel said the police were making all efforts to arrest him for defying prohibitory orders and for holding a public meeting without permission. “Police have cordoned off all the main roads in the district,” said the IGP. It is worth mentioning that after Hardik’s arrest on Saturday following his efforts to launch Ekta Yatra from Surat and his release on bail late in the night he appealed to people to maintain peace and also said to take short break from agitation. However, like his previous commitments, this time too he took U-turn.