Gujarat Police detained about 31 Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers on Wednesday when they had gathered in numbers to submit a formal application to Gujarat OBC Commission with the demand to accord OBC status to Patels.
As per the statutory requirement, it is the OBC Commission that entertains, examines and recommends upon requests any inclusions or exclusions from the list of communities notified as backward. The State of Gujarat has 146 notified OBCs.
More than 50 PAAS members assembled outside the office of OBC Commission to make a formal application seeking OBC status for Patels.
The trouble began when PAAS members sought to enter the office of Gujarat OBC Commission head Justice (retd) Sugnyaben Bhatt.
While the Commission head accede to meet five PAAS representatives, all those present insisted on meeting the Commission head and began arguing with the police.
They were led by PAAS conveners Dinesh Bambhaniya and lalit Vasoya and sitting legislator from Dhari, Nalin Kotadiya.
PAAS has been spearheading the 14-month-old agitation seeking OBC status for the socially and economically powerful Patel community in the State. Reacting to police action, PAAS leader and face of Patel quota stir Hardik Patel in his video message on social media hit out at the state government saying that it was trying to suppress their voice.