After staging a protest outside the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in Gandhinagar demanding an increase in pay grade, the constable attached with the Ahmedabad police was detained on Monday evening.
Gujarat Constable Triggers Protest From Congress and Aam Aadmi Party
Constable identified as Hardik Pandya who is attached with the Bapunagar Police station in Ahmedabad city, staged a sit-in protest on Monday. He later called for the formation of a police union regarding the increase in pay grade for junior rank police personnel. This further triggered protests from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Pandya was detained by Gandhinagar’s local crime branch team and taken to their office in Sector 28. Following this, leaders and workers from the AAP and Congress also staged a sit-in protest outside the crime branch on Monday night.
The Gandhinagar police informed that Pandya was held only for a brief period and was later released during the early morning hours of Tuesday. No FIR has been lodged against him.
Talking to the media, MK Rana, deputy superintendent of police, Gandhinagar, said that Constable Pandya was dropped off at his home. He is expected to resume his duty with Bapunagar station from Tuesday.
The Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia said that those who indulge in inciting police personnel will be facing departmental action.
Congress, AAP Worked Rushed To LCB Office After Detention
Soon after Pandya was detained by the police, several workers of Congress and AAP including the senior leaders rushed to the LCB office on Monday night to protest. Paresh Dhanani, Congress MLA took to Twitter to express his support for Pandya. He said that there is open support to the ones in Khaki (police uniform). He informed that they fully support different ranks of police personnel who protect the common people and yet their salary in insufficient and treated as “pattawala” by the government.
Meanwhile, Gopal Italia, president, AAP Gujarat who is also a former Gujarat Police constable said that the revolutionary workers of AAP are present at the LCB office to support Constable Pandya. He informed that the police has been demanding their rights for some time. But the BJP led government has been “surpassing their voice”.
After the news of the detention broke out, dozens of workers of Congress and AAP, including senior leaders, rushed to the LCB office on Monday night to protest.
