Protest over attack on Congress MLA Anant Patel in Gujarat’s Navsari district

A first information report was filed at Khergam police station in connection with the attack on Congress MLA Anant Patel

Ahmedabad: Thousands of tribals on Sunday gathered at Unai, the home town of Congress MLA Anant Patel after he was attacked on Saturday night by a group of men at Khergam in Navasari district. The protestors demanded that the police arrest the accused within 72 hours, failing which they will block the roads of the tribal belt’s 14 districts.

A huge crowd gathered in support of Congress MLA and tribal leader Anant Patel who was allegedly attacked by some unknown individuals at Khergam town in Navsari

A group of about 40-45 men including Vaad village headman Chetan Patel are alleged to have attacked the Congress MLA at Khergam, according to the first information report filed by the police.

Patel, a tribal leader, also alleged that the attack was carried out on orders of Zila Panchayat chief Bhikhu Ahir when he was reaching Khergam, Navsari for a meeting. A shop owned by the district panchayat leader was targeted in retaliation for the attack.

Patel, 42, played a lead role in the uprising of the tribals earlier this year following which the Centre decided to halt the Par-Tapi-Narmada (PTN) river-linking project in May to avoid the displacement of tribals from their ancestral land in the project-affected region.

A day before the attack, a Navaratri dance celebration was organised in his constituency, Vansda, called ‘Ekaj chale Anant Patel chale’ which loosely translates that Patel sticks to his stand.

Posters and banners titled ‘Maaru ghar e Anant Patel nu ghar’ (my house in Anant Patel’s house) have been put up in various parts of his and other tribal constituencies as part of his election campaign for the state polls expected later this year.

Rahul Gandhi shared a photo of Patel that showed a head injury in a tweet where he wrote: “The cowardly attack by the BJP on our MLA in Gujarat, Anant Patel, who has been fighting for the tribals against the Par-Tapi river link project, is condemnable. This shows the panic of the BJP government. Every worker of the Congress will fight till the last breath for the rights of tribals”.