Ahmedabad witnessed two separate protests on Monday in support of the demonstrations at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, with the larger gathering in the evening turning tense as police detained more than 150 people.
The protests were held in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and also called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While the first gathering at Law Garden ended with some protesters being detained, the second protest outside MJ Library on Ashram Road drew a much larger crowd and led to a prolonged confrontation between police and demonstrators.
Evening Protest Draws Large Crowd
The main protest began around 6 pm near the MJ Library in the Ellisbridge area, one of Ahmedabad’s busiest parts. A large number of young people gathered with placards and raised slogans in support of Wangchuk.
As police began moving in to detain protesters, groups of demonstrators scattered into nearby lanes and bylanes. Police personnel followed them through the narrow streets around Ellisbridge and Nehru Bridge as the protest continued to spread beyond the original gathering point.
The first group of protesters was detained at around 6 pm. Police teams from Zone-7, covering eight police stations, were deployed under the leadership of Sector-1 Joint Commissioner of Police Niraj Kumar Badgujar.
Protesters Scatter as Detentions Begin
As police vehicles arrived to take protesters to Vejalpur police station, the crowd split into smaller groups. At the same time, more people continued to join the demonstration.
Civil rights activist Swati Goswami, who was involved in coordinating the protest, was among the first people detained.
After her release, she criticised the state government’s education policies and raised concerns over paper leaks, school closures and access to affordable education.
She said the protesters were demanding action, accountability, reforms and answers, adding that young people in Gujarat wanted change.
Police Say Protest Had No Permission
JCP Niraj Kumar Badgujar said the protesters had not obtained police permission to hold the demonstration. According to him, more than 150 people were detained during the protest.
Several protesters were taken away in police vehicles after nearly two and a half hours of agitation, while others went with the police voluntarily. The detained protesters continued raising slogans at police stations and were released after 9 pm.
Young Protesters Face Police Near Gandhigram
The tense scenes continued near Gandhigram railway station, close to the main protest location.
A group of around 80 young protesters moved away from the main road and gathered on a nearby street lined with offices and residential buildings. Police personnel carrying lathis followed the group on foot, while police vehicles moved through the area.
The protesters raised slogans including “Vande Mataram” and “Inquilab Zindabad”. They later shouted slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The group continued moving through the lanes while police kept following them.
Police Surround Protesters
The situation became tense when the group attempted to move back towards Ashram Road. Protesters found that the route leading to the main road had been surrounded by police, effectively cutting off their exit.
Many of those taking part appeared to be college students. Some covered their faces with masks or cloth and were reluctant to reveal their identities or speak publicly about the protest.
One young woman alleged that police were specifically detaining people who were raising the loudest slogans and that several protesters had already been picked up from the main road.
Two young men, one studying at a university in Ahmedabad and another from Pune, also claimed that police personnel had warned them that they were being watched and asked them to accompany them to the police station.
Fear of Lathi-Charge, But Situation Remains Under Control
At one point, police vehicles moved in from another road, leaving the group surrounded from two sides. This led to brief panic among protesters, with some fearing that a lathi-charge could take place.
However, no such action followed at that moment. Senior police officials remained calm as the protesters found themselves surrounded.
Within about half an hour, the group gradually broke into smaller groups of two or three and disappeared into the surrounding crowd.
Later, a larger group returned to the main road for another round of slogans as police brought in several vans to detain more protesters.
Journalists, Passersby Also Caught in Confusion
With large numbers of police personnel deployed, identifying protesters became difficult.
Several officers were wearing body cameras as they tried to separate protesters from ordinary pedestrians, office workers and people standing at nearby tea stalls.
In the confusion, some journalists were also briefly directed towards police vehicles before officers realised their identities and allowed them to move away.
The Ahmedabad protests eventually ended with the detention and later release of several demonstrators. The events marked a significant day of street protests in the city, as young people gathered in large numbers to express solidarity with the movement in Delhi and raise their concerns over education and governance.
Also Read: 18 Police Firings In 15 Months: Gujarat Sees Sharp Increase In Police Shootings https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-police-firing-cases-rise-18-incidents-in-15-months/
