Gujarat : Protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) in Surat city turned violent on Wednesday as protesters resorted to stone-pelting on police, in which at least one policeman was injured, even as cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Anand, Modasa, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka observed partial shutdowns during a nation wide bandh call.

According to Surat police, the stone-pelting incident occurred in Limbayat area where a large number of people had assembled to protest against the CAA, NRC and NPR. However, stone-pelting started after multiple police vehicles arrived to disperse the mob. One policeman was reportedly injured in stone-pelting after which police used mild force to disperse the protesters.

After the incident, a large number of police personnel were deployed in Limbayat and a complaint was lodged against the mob at the Limbayat police station.

“The situation was brought under control immediately. A policeman was injured and we have registered an offence against the mob. We will identify those who were involved in the incident and arrest them on the basis of CCTV footage,” said RP Solanki, inspector with Limbayat police station.

Pandesara police in Surat detained 17 youths who were shouting slogans against CAA, NRC and NPR near a dyeing and printing factory, allegedly forcing the factory owner to shut down. The factory owner called up police control room, following which Pandesara police reached the spot and detained 17 youths.

The detainees were brought to the police station and were released in the evening after taking their statements. Inspector DK Patel said, “We detained a few youths who were forcing factory owners to close their units in support of their protest.”

In other parts of Surat city, shops were closed with anti-CAA and anti-NRC posters pasted on the shutters of shops. Some shops in the textile market were open but footfall was less. Vegetable markets in Limbayat, Navsari and Zampa Bazaar also observed complete shutdown as hawkers supported the bandh call given by various socio-political-religious groups across the country. A few private schools in the walled city area remained open.

In Ahmedabad, several market places such as Mazoorgam in Geeta Mandir road, Kalupur, Teen Darwaza, Dariyapur and other areas of walled city remained closed due to the bandh call. However, new market places outside walled city remained open as usual giving the bandh call a mixed reaction in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. In Mazoorgam of Geeta Mandir road, over 300 shops remained closed all day.

“We have called for today’s bandh in solidarity with the ongoing country wide protests against the CAA, NRC and NPR…The truth is that CAA and NRC will mostly affect the marginalised sections of the society such as Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe,” said Amit Solanki, representative, Bharat Mukti Morcha.

“We have voluntarily closed our shops all day in support of the fight that our mothers and sisters have been fighting all over India,” said Mohammad Makhtoom, a hardware shop owner, in Teen Darwaza. In Dariyapur area of Ahmedabad, over 1,000 women sat on the streets agitating against the three exercises.

Vadodara city witnessed a tepid response to the bandh on Wednesday. While most major markets remained open, areas such as Tandalja remained closed. Police detained four persons belonging to a local political outfit for forcefully shutting shops in the Navayard area of the city.

An officer of the Fatehgunj police station said that the four men belonging to a local political outfit were detained and released with a warning. “They were forcing shop keepers to down shutters in favour of the bandh against NRC and CAA. The PCR was dispatched after a call from one of the affected shop owners. The men were detained because no one can force anyone to join a protest,” the officer said. Traffic police also patrolled the old city area on two wheelers during the day, to ensure that the parts joining the protest stayed calm.

In Bharuch, many parts saw a complete shut down, including most schools and colleges also declaring it a day off. Similar bandh was witnessed in areas of Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka on Wednesday.

In Bhavnagar, areas like Shishuvihar, Madhvada, Haluriya Chowk, Moti Valava, VIP Market, Alka Cinema, Navapara, etc., remained shut throughout the day. Around 2,000 women assembled on the road in Navapara area of Bhavnagar, offered namaz and then did Khatme Quran. “The women prayed that the CAA be withdrawn and that our Constitution be preserved,” a businessman of Bhavnagar who had joined the bandh, told The Indian Express.

Dozens of women offered namaz on road in Navapara area of Bhavnagar as some neighbourhoods observed day-long bandh in Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts of Saurashtra on Wednesday.

In Jamnagar, the bandh was observed in areas like Durbargadh, Bedi and Bedeshwar. Port town Sikka in Jamnagar district also observed bandh. Salaya, a port town in the neighbouring Devbhumi Dwarka district also remained shut throughout the day.

In Modasa, several market places, including the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) wholesale market, remained shut on Wednesday.

“The entire Makhdoom intersection market in Modasa was shut today in protest of the CAA, NRC and NPR. Over 2000 shops in APMC market was also shut,” said Suleiman Khan, convenor, Aravalli Muslim Coordination Committee.

Meanwhile, hundreds of women participated in the ongoing protest against CAA and NRC in Limbayat area of Surat. People came out in large numbers to the protest venue in Omnagar in the afternoon to express solidarity with the women who have been sitting in protest for the past two days. Organisers formed volunteer teams to essential items to the protesters. A few plain-clothed policemen were deployed at the venue.

NCP leader Akram Ansari who was present at the protest site said, “Police asked me to withdraw the protest. I told the them that I’m ready to suffer any consequences. My team members are working throughout round-the-clock to help the protesters. I am doing this for my community.”