Quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's mother, sister detained

Ahmedabad: The police in Viramgam in the district on Thursday briefly detained the Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's mother Ushaben and his sister Monica along with six other women as they gathered to stage a protest at Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's election rally.

The women were held before they could reach the venue and kept in preventive detention till the CM's speech got over.

"We released them after a few hours," said Viramgam town police station's inspector M M Ganguli.

Hardik, who hails from this town, is in Surat jail in connection with a sedition case.

Chief Minister Patel was in Viramgam, around 20 km from here, for the campaigning for local body polls in the state.

Polling for 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka panchayats and 56 municipalities would take place on November 29.

Chief Minister Patel, who is heading the BJP's campaign, has been facing protests from the agitating Patel community nearly everywhere. Two days ago hundreds of protesters tried to jump the cordon during her road-show in Mehsana town.

She also faced a large number of Patel protesters at nearby Visnagar town.